RTD Approves Free Rides on Late Buses
The board of directors of the Rapid Transit District on Thursday approved a plan to provide free bus rides beginning next month for passengers picked up 15 minutes or more late.
The pilot program, scheduled to run from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, is designed to increase public confidence throughout Los Angeles County in the RTD. The district has suffered for years from bad publicity, ranging from violence to late-running buses.
Since the 1984 Summer Olympics, RTD ridership has plummeted by about 500,000 passengers from a high of 1.8 million daily. Officials concede a 60-cent fare hike in 1985, increasing the basic one-way fare to $1.10, drove off thousands of customers.
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