Letters: The bus vs. rail myth

Re “Riders protest fare hike proposal,� Feb. 20

It’s time to put an end to the myth that Metro’s bus service could be better funded by stopping rail construction. The statement by Barbara Lott-Holland, co-chair of the Bus Riders Union, to that effect is yet another repeat of the group’s favorite misstatement.

It has been explained to the Bus Riders Union that funds designated for light rail and other construction projects are not legally allowed to be used for service operations. Most capital projects are funded by specific grants from Sacramento and Washington, and if those projects were to be canceled, Metro would be required to return that money.

Furthermore, project money generated by voter-approved sales taxes cannot be shifted to operations without another ballot measure, because the percentages of capital and operating funds were fixed when the voters approved those sales taxes originally.

Anyone who takes the time to read Metro’s annual budget will see that every penny of operations-eligible funding is being spent to operate transit service. Given the legal restrictions, Metro would be foolish to do otherwise. For the Bus Riders Union to continue to claim otherwise damages its credibility.

Kymberleigh Richards

Van Nuys

The writer is a member of the Metro San Fernando Valley Service Council.

Metro needs to continue building rail lines, which give transit riders benefits that buses don’t provide. They make for far superior rides, free of the gridlock on the streets.

As for fares, the increases proposed by Metro are not extreme. In New York, the fare for a subway or local bus ride is $2.50, compared to Metro’s current $1.50. In Chicago, the basic “L� train fare is $2.25, and its costs $2 to ride a bus.

Fares also act as gatekeepers. If buses and subways were free, I imagine the new riders we’d have to share our trips with (think addicts and drunks, who need help but not from buses) would make for an unpleasant experience.

Matthew Hetz

Los Angeles

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