As ridership on Southern California’s largest bus network has dropped steadily over the last few years, transportation officials have expressed confidence that the decline was temporary and riders would soon return.It appears consumers have rejected socialist transportation. Just a reminder for you high speech rail advocates out there in California.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority attributed the drop to factors beyond its control, including more people buying cars, cheap gas and a recent state law that allows immigrants who are in the country illegally to obtain driver licenses.
Now, transportation officials are considering another explanation for why riders have stopped taking buses: The service isn’t good enough.
After months of preliminary research, Metro officials acknowledge that Los Angeles County’s sprawling bus system isn’t working as well for riders as it once did.
Metro bus ridership fell 18% in April compared with April 2015. The number of trips taken on Metro buses annually fell by more than 59 million, or 16%, between 2013 and 2016.
A recent survey of more than 2,000 former riders underscores the challenge Metro faces. Many passengers said buses didn’t go where they were going — or, if they did, the bus didn’t come often enough, or stopped running too early, or the trip required multiple transfers. Of those surveyed, 79% now primarily drive alone.
In an attempt to stem the declines, Metro is embarking on a study to “re-imagine” the system’s 170 lines and 15,000 stops, officials said. Researchers will consider how to better serve current riders and how to attract new customers, and will examine factors including demographics, travel patterns and employment centers.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
L.A. bus ridership continues to fall; officials now looking to overhaul the system
The L.A. Times reports:
