Council Plans Hikes in City Bus Fares

With federal funds that subsidize this city’s transit system rapidly shrinking, the City Council has voted to raise the fare on the main line bus to 75 cents a ride, up from 50 cents.

Searching for ways to keep the city’s transportation system intact, a task force offered a variety of suggestions to the council this week, among them eliminating one of the city’s three bus lines.

Laguna Beach is the only city in Orange County with its own bus system, and city leaders concede that its future is in question.

“It’s bad this year, and we’re trying to deal with it,” Municipal Services Director Terry Brandt said Friday. “It looks worse [for] next year, and we’ll have to deal with it again.”

Other task force recommendations endorsed by the council include raising senior fares from 25 cents to 30 cents. Brandt said he will present a resolution to the council at its March 19 meeting asking that the changes become effective May 6.

The changes do not affect the summer tram system.

In the past, the federal government’s annual subsidy for the city’s bus system has been $250,000, a grant that is being phased out over the next two years as part of a nationwide cutback. The city is using general fund revenue to supplement the shortfall for now.

One tactic the city will use to save money is to replace a full-time driver and maintenance worker with part-time workers for whom the city will not have to pay benefits.

The city also plans to step up its promotion of the transit system, including working with community groups to develop a brochure to encourage ridership.