One of Los Angeles' transportation commissioners advocates eliminating bus and train fares to help the urban poor and encourage ridership.
"Eliminating transit fares is the logical flip side to the anti-congestion pricing schemes so favored by economists. London, for instance, charges a daily fee equal to about $15.60 to drive in the traffic-chocked central city between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays. Just as such fees on cars supposedly discourage driving, eliminating fares could encourage public transit use."
D. Malcolm Carson, an attorney and urban planner in private practice who serves on the city's Board of Transportation, points out that ridership on the regional transit system surged when fares were lowered in the early 1980s.
"Axing fares would lift a drag on the whole transit system. People could quickly get on or off buses at the front and back. Bus drivers could focus on being helpful, as opposed to being fare cops. New riders could give it a try without worrying about having "exact change." The ease and accessibility of a free system might even instill a feeling of "fun" to riding transit - not an insignificant factor in a city where people famously love to drive."
FULL STORY: Give L.A. a free ride
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