The pandemic may be resurfacing again, and one of its few benefits, free rides on Metro buses, is coming to an end. Since last Monday, January 10, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority resumed charging its lines and again requires passengers to enter through the main door, along with the driver and the fare box.
Since March 2020, riders have been fare-free when boarding the bus and boarding from the back, as part of LA Metro’s strategy to keep them at a safe distance from drivers.
Before the pandemic, LA Metro made between $ 250 million and $ 300 million from fares. After thousands of Angelenos traveled for free last year, Metro said in a press release that it was reinstituting charges because “they help keep our system running.”
But the fees have yet to return to their pre-pandemic level.
Here’s what you need to know about riding LA Metro.
How much will it cost?
From Monday, January 10 to July 22, multi-trip passes for people who are not enrolled in other fare assistance programs will have a 50% discount:
- One day (24 hours of unlimited travel): $ 3.50.
- Seven days: $ 12.50.
- 30 days: $ 50.
One-way costs for the train and most bus lines will remain $ 1.75; the fare will continue at $ 2.50 for certain express buses. Transfers, within two hours, to other Metro lines will remain free.
How can you save money?
Metro has been exploring the idea of operating the bus and train lines without charging passengers, but is still looking for alternative ways to finance its operations. So far, only a two-year pilot project has been launched offering free trips for K-12 and community college students.
The GoPass Fareless Pass program allows students to travel for free virtually anytime, anywhere. Participating schools and districts include:
• Alliance College Ready Charter Schools• Birmingham Community Charter High School
• California School of the Arts — San Gabriel Valley (Duarte)
• Cathedral High School
• Centinela Valley Unified
• Culver City Unified School District
• Da Vinci RISE High School
• El Camino Real Charter High School
• El Rancho Unified
• Environmental Charter Schools
• ICEF Public Schools
• Los Angeles Academy of the Arts and Enterprise
• LA Alliance Charter Schools
• Los Angeles Unified School District
• New West Charter School
• North Valley Military Institute
• Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
• Scholarship Prep
• TIME Community Schools
• Youth Build Charter Schools
To find out if your school participates in the program, visit the Metro website.
Meanwhile, low-income Angelenos can get discounted pass cards through Metro’s Low-Income Fare is Easy program. To be eligible, your household income must not be more than half the median family income for Los Angeles County (that translates to $ 41,400 for a single person or $ 59,100 for a family of four). You can simply confirm on the application that you qualify, or you can submit documents that prove your eligibility, such as Medi-Cal or food stamp records.
Those who are already enrolled in the LIFE program will have around 50% discount on the regular rates until the end of July. A seven-day pass will cost $ 6.50 and a 30-day pass will cost $ 26.
For those just enrolled in LIFE, LA Metro offers a 90-day period of free rides.
If you want to read this article in Spanish, click here