• Listen to this segment

GUEST: Francisca Porchas, Lead organizer with the Bus Riders Union

Last Thursday, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved a compromise deal that will raise bus and rail fares. The decision was reached following a day-long public hearing in which nearly 1500 people from the community attended to largely voice their opposition to the fare hike. Though somewhat less drastic than the original MTA fare hike proposal, the compromise deal will raise the current single bus fare rate of $1.25 to $1.50 by July 2009 and $1.80 by July 2011. More drastic increases will come with day passes being raised from $3 dollars to $5 dollars in 2008. Monthly passes will peak at $90 dollars by 2012. The rationale provided by the MTA for the fare hikes continues to be a projected 10 year, 1.8 billion dollar deficit. Activists and commuters who have long opposed fare hikes consider this deal to be too much of a compromise. The Bus Riders Union plans to legally challenge the fare increases on the grounds that they will affect the working poor, elderly and persons of color disproportionately.

For more information, visit www.busridersunion.org, or call 213-387-2800.