Century City Bus Line Gets Brief Reprieve : Transportation: Commuter route from Antelope Valley will continue through June 30. Passengers who sought extension still hope to boost ridership.

The commuter bus route from the Antelope Valley to Century City, which has been threatened with cancellation, won a short reprieve Monday from directors of the regional agency that runs the transit service.

Despite low ridership on the line, which was launched last year with Northridge earthquake relief funds, directors of the Antelope Valley Transit Authority voted to retain the service through June 30, when the fiscal year ends.

This month, the 40-seat bus was averaging 18 riders a day in each direction on trips between the Antelope Valley and stops in West Los Angeles, Century City and Beverly Hills. Agency officials said the route needs about 30 riders a day to pay for itself.

The route’s fate beyond June 30 is in question because the board members also told the agency staff to draw up two budgets for next year--one including the Century City run and one without it.

About a dozen riders who took time off from work to lobby the board Monday said they were optimistic about saving the bus line.

“It sounds like we’re making headway,” said Michael Snow, a Palmdale resident who rides the bus to his job at a Beverly Hills bank. “I think we’ll show more ridership and become permanent. I think it’s feasible.”

Susan Allen, a Lancaster resident who had three car pools fall apart during 11 years of commuting to Century City, said she wants to preserve the bus route. “I’m going to help in any way I can by telling people who live here and work down there about the bus,” she said.

The Century City line was begun last April, using federal disaster funds earmarked for traffic relief on quake-damaged freeways. But when major freeway repairs were completed last summer, the federal aid ended, and the bus service was halted.

After a small group of commuters protested and promised to help boost ridership, the agency board in August allocated another $30,000 to revive the run at least through the end of the fiscal year.

But because ridership did not grow as quickly as expected, that money ran out this month, and another shutdown of the service was proposed. After the riders protested again at Monday’s meeting, the board approved another $15,000 to cover its costs through June 30.

Fares are $7 one way, $50 for a 10-ride punch pass and $190 for a monthly pass.