The MTA are fools. They could improve traffic, ease crowding on the bus, and increase ridership by simply keeping fares low, or lowering them, and increasing the frequency of buses going in and out of Downtown. They could gain riders who are willing to drive to a bus stop, and get on the bus for the last leg of the trip.

Why? Because the last part of the trip is the longest part. It's also the most expensive part. The simplest way to eliminate this last leg is to use the bus. This tactic can work if bus frequencies increase, so the penalty for missing a bus is getting to work only around 10 minutes late, rather than 20 or 30 minutes late.

I know this works, because I've done it myself, by driving or bicycling to a residential area adjacent to a bus line, parking, and taking the bus. It's just barely worth it, but with high gas prices and rising parking fees, its popularity can increase.

I know, it's not totally green.... but it's something.

Proposed MTA Rate Hikes are Discriminatory

The head of the Los Angeles County bus and rail system has proposed substantial increases in the fares that riders must pay. MTA Chief Executive Roger Snoble proposes increasing the base fare from $1.25 to $2.00, the Day Pass from $3 to $8, the monthly pass from $52 to $120, and several other increases.

The proposed monthly pass increase would make MTA just about the most expensive public transit system in the country. The proposed $8 Day Pass would result in no savings for most riders.

48% of bus riders have a household income of less than $15,000.

90% of the students who ride the bus are minorities.

The proposed rate hikes undeniably aer discriminatory against the poor and minorities.

It's bad enough that minority students are disadvantaged by the huge loss of time that riding the bus to and from school causes. The proposed rate hikes will further disadvantage them by placing an unfair financial burden on their families.

The MTA's Executive Board has told Director Snoble that his job performance review would be based on his ability to quickly reduce the deficit under which the MTA is operating. In essence, Mr. Snoble has been told to recommend a rate hike or lose his job. This is an irresponsible tactic by those responsible for running the MTA.

There are better solutions to the MTA's financial problems -- such as increasing the county sales tax or the state gas tax. The Executive Board asked Mr. Snoble to propose a solution while limiting the possible solutions to cutting service or raising rates.

The burden of solving the MTA's financial problems should reside with the city, county, and state governments. Mr. Snoble should retract his rate hike recommendations as having been made as a result of the coercive environment of his job performance review process.

Jeff B. Mamet

Culver City, CA 90230

jbmamet@yahoo.com

What is astounding about the proposal, besides its sado-masochistic nature, is that it works against the declared goals of the society; of reducing petroleum dependence, reducing traffic, improving air quality, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Wouldn't it be ironic that for making such a backwards proposal, instead of saving his job, Mr Snoble is fired because the residents were so outraged that they demanded his head on a silver platter?

Mr. V, for his part, has not declared his position on the matter, apparently waiting until the day of the hearing to approve it or close to it. I don't think it's enough to ask him to vote no on the proposal. As residents we should demand that he state his position now. A mayor that approves such a proposal should not be mayor. Approving such not only reflects badly on him, it reflects badly on the society that allowed such an astoundingly backwards proposal to be implemented.

If it's approved, it's going to be very farcical to hear Mr. V discuss global warming and traffic or to hear Los Angelenos complain about traffic or high gas prices.

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