The pandemic may be rising again, and one of its few benefits, free rides on Metro buses, is coming to an end. Since last Monday, January 10, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority resumed charging on its lines and again requires passengers to enter through the main door, next to the driver and the fare box.
As of March 2020, riders paid no fare when boarding the bus and boarded from the rear, as part of LA Metro’s strategy to keep riders a safe distance from drivers.
Before the pandemic, LA Metro made between $250 million and $300 million in fares. After thousands of Angelenos rode for free last year, Metro said in a press release that it was reinstating the charges because “they help keep our system running.”
But rates have yet to return to their pre-pandemic level.
Here’s what you need to know about riding LA Metro.
How much will it cost?
From Monday, January 10 through July 22, multi-ride passes for individuals not enrolled in other fare assistance programs will be 50% off:
- One day (24 hours of unlimited rides): $3.50.
- Seven days: $12.50.
- 30 days: $50.
One-way costs for the train and most bus lines will remain $1.75; the fare will continue at $2.50 for certain express buses. Transfers, within two hours, to other Metro lines will remain free.
How can you save money?
Metro has been exploring the idea of operating bus and rail lines without charging passengers, but is still looking for alternative ways to finance its operations. So far, only a two-year pilot project has been launched offering free rides for K-12 and community college students.
The GoPass Fareless Pass program allows students to travel for free virtually anytime, anywhere. Participating schools and districts include:
• Alliance College Ready Charter Schools• Birmingham Community Charter High School
• California School of the Arts — San Gabriel Valley (Duarte)
• Cathedral High School
• Centinela Valley Unified
• Culver City Unified School District
• Da Vinci RISE High School
• El Camino Real Charter High School
• The Ranch Unified
• Environmental Charter Schools
• ICEF Public Schools
• Los Angeles Academy of the Arts and Enterprise
• LA Alliance Charter Schools
• Los Angeles Unified School District
• New West Charter School
• North Valley Military Institute
• Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
• Scholarship Prep
• TIME Community Schools
• Youth Build Charter Schools
To find out if your school participates in the program, visit Metro’s website.
Meanwhile, low-income Angelenos can get discount pass cards through Metro’s Low-Income Fare is Easy program. To be eligible, your household income must be no more than half the median household income for Los Angeles County (that translates to $41,400 for a single person or $59,100 for a family of four). You can simply confirm on the application that you qualify, or you can submit documents that prove your eligibility, such as Medi-Cal or food stamp records.
Those who are already enrolled in the LIFE program will have around 50% off regular rates through the end of July. A seven-day pass will cost $6.50 and a 30-day pass will cost $26.
For those who have just signed up for LIFE, LA Metro is offering a 90-day period of free rides.
If you want to read this article in Spanish, click here
–
