Bus Service

Allan Lipsky, Metropolitan Transportation Authority chief operating officer, asks, “Why would anyone pay up to $2 more to ride a slower, less reliable bus when they have a better choice?” (“Bus Service Protest,” Letters to the Valley Edition, Nov. 21).

The reason, of course, is that most riders don’t have a better choice. For most riders, a bus is significantly faster for the total trip. While MTA spent years making buses less reliable, the work of the Bus Riders Union is finally forcing the beginning of major improvements. If rail is so good, then why does MTA have to use such drastically lower fares to attract riders? Why didn’t MTA just save the $5 billion that it would cost to build the Red Line, lower the fare on buses and add service? When this was done between 1982 and 1985, ridership went up 40%.

Jon Hartmann asks, “Does anybody at the Bus Riders Union want to compare amortized costs over the life of a subway car versus a bus?” (“Traffic Congestion,” Letters to the Editor, Nov.21).

Yes, they do. If we make the questionable assumption that the Red Line actually carries the 125,000 daily riders that MTA is now projecting for 2000 (down from the original 444,000 in 1983 and the 298,000 for the current route in 1989), the average operating subsidy per passenger on the Red Line will be $12.22 versus $1.60 for the average bus passenger, using the Federal Transit Administration’s “New Starts” costing methodology. Of course, on the more heavily utilized bus lines, the subsidy is far, far less. Some of the most expensive bus lines to operate are the feeder lines to take people to rail stations--which counts against bus costs.

Why doesn’t MTA just give the people what they want? When the Blue Line started service, Southern California Rapid Transit District kept all bus lines in service for several months and learned enough to avoid making a lot of mistakes in removing service from the wrong places. All that the Bus Riders Union is asking is that it do the same thing now. If bus usage drops, then it will make sense to reduce service. If it doesn’t, don’t hurt the people who depend upon it because the MTA board and its predecessors have made so many mistakes.

TOM RUBIN

Former Controller-Treasurer,

Southern California Rapid Transit District 2207

Oakland