Bus Fare Hikes Seem Reasonable

Few people in Southern California ride buses regularly out of choice. Bus riders usually don’t have driver’s licenses or can’t afford a car or insurance. They need public transportation to get to and from work, school or the store.

The Orange County Transportation Authority has proposed raising some bus fares and is holding a series of public meetings to outline the proposals. The increases seem reasonable, considering that they are the first ones in eight years. The agency also pledges to use the expected extra revenue to increase bus service, running buses for about 5% more hours starting in September and another 5% or so next February.

The biggest changes will be eliminating the 15-cent fare for seniors and the disabled who board buses outside the peak hours, which are 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays. The new fare for people in those categories would be 50 cents, no matter what time they board. The regular fare would remain $1 regardless of time of day.

Although the increase from 15 cents to 50 cents is large in percentage, it’s not in cash--35 cents. For seniors, any increase is painful, no doubt. However, the monthly pass for them and for the disabled would remain priced at $18.50, an incentive for regular riders to budget ahead and have no increase. OCTA also is holding the line on the full-fare monthly pass for bus lines within Orange County, monthly passes for students and monthly express bus service to Los Angeles.

Another problem for those of limited means will be the elimination of transfers, which now are free. So seniors would have to pay $1 for a two-bus trip, rather than the current 15 cents off-hour. However, assuming that most journeys are round trips, seniors could limit their daily outlays to $1.25 by purchasing a day pass, which provides unlimited rides.

A year ago the American Public Transit Assn. said Orange County had the fastest-growing population of bus riders in the nation. Though it has lost that title, the increases continue. For the year ending last Nov. 30, ridership totaled nearly 53 million passengers, an increase of about 6% over the previous year. That’s an impressive number and indicates the importance to the county of bus transportation.

Transit officials say a major reason for increased ridership has been an improving economy. More people have jobs, many of them entry-level, with workers depending on public transit. Buses will increase in importance as welfare reform continues, with efforts to get people off public assistance and working.

OCTA should continue monitoring of ridership and routes, making sure it has matched buses to high ridership areas. That will help maximize revenue and minimize future fare increases.

Buses are a vital part of the county’s transportation system, which is more than just cars and freeways.