[Read about the Big Blue Bus' new Mini Blue line here, and the potential changes to Line 10 here.]
Before the Community Meeting on Monday, I actually had no idea how complicated the Big Blue Bus’ fare structure was. After all, I’m a “regular” rider. I pay 75 cents for bus rides, get free transfers within the BBB system, and pay 25 cents for transfers outside the system. Simple.
But clearly, it wasn’t so simple for other people. Seniors, disabled, and students were all paying different fares and transfer fees — and getting v. confused by the complicated fare schedules.
So BBB came up with a simplified fare schedule. Basically, rides on the BBB will cost 75 cents, or 50 cents for seniors, disabled, or students. All transfers — whether within or outside the BBB system — will cost 50 cents (25 cents for seniors and disabled).
Best of all, BBB’s getting a daypass! These’ll cost $2.50 for local service or $3.50 for express service ($1.25 for seniors, disabled, or students).
As with most of the other proposals debuted at this Community Meeting, the new fare structure will need to be approved by City Council on April 20, with implementation expected between June and July.
The new fare structure’s featured to the left (click for larger image). What do you think? I thought it simplified things quite a bit — and almost always kept things less expensive than the other transit systems in the area. But we did have one verbose dude at the meeting go on a long rant about how BBB’s “gouging” its customers. How would this new fare structure affect your transit needs?
The daypass is too high to make sense except for seniors/students. You need to have two boardings with transfers for it to break even, four without.
What would be nice would be an intersystem daypass that’d cover MTA/BBB/CCB/etc. for around $3.
I’m starting a new job at the end of the month and I figure most days will be BBB to SM in the mornings and bike home. On days when I have writers group, though, I’ll get a daypass for the MTA, walk up to Wilshire to take the 710 to SM, take the 316 to writer’s group in Silverlake and then 316/705 to get home.
Comment by don hosek — March 8, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
The best policy is for the agencies involved in the EZ Pass, basically all of the agenciesin L.A. County that matter, to agree on an EZ Day Pass.
It would have to be priced relatively high, but still within the realm of making it useful.
A $5 day pass would be terrific for Metro riders, but cheaper to pay cash fares on most munis. Metro is finding $3 too low.
Maybe $3.50 or $4 would be well worth it.
The EZ Day Pass would replace in-agency transfers.
Comment by Wad — March 8, 2007 @ 8:07 pm
Any of those prices sound right to me. In San Diego I take my bus 3 miles to work, and if I paid the fare it would be $2.25 each way. Luckily my work pays for a monthly pass. I believe that the “local” bus which services the central area is $1.75, but even though my ride is only 3 miles, because the bus comes from like 10-15 miles away it’s a $2.25 fare. And then the buses that service North County or the express buses are $2.50. I’ve always thought it seemed a little expensive.
Comment by Russ — March 9, 2007 @ 3:56 pm
Russ, it is expensive.
San Diego County is required by the Transnet sales tax to post at least a 40% farebox recovery.
You pay a lot for very little service. Although, it’s long overdue that San Diego Transit implemented 15-minute service on 15 lines. (Before, there were only about 4 lines that had such frequent service.)
What’s odd about the $1.75 “local” routes: have you noticed those are the buses that serve military installations?
Comment by Wad — March 9, 2007 @ 4:22 pm