LAUSD and Metro to Bring Fareless Transit to Students through June 2023

The Los Angeles Metro system has the highest percentage of low-income riders in the nation -and now, Metro and LAUSD are supporting those riders by providing fareless transit to TK-12 and community college students. SLATE-Z and its partners were key players in this effort, working to catalyze this incredible change. Back in 2018, SLATE-Z with its partners Move-LA, Los Angeles Promise Fund, and Metro worked together to provide low-income students in South LA with free, unlimited access to LA Metro’s countywide bus and rail services. The goals of the project were to (1) improve access to education and job opportunities. (2) reduce transportation emissions, and (3) increase transit ridership. This discrete project was a resounding success with the 11th grade class at Manuel Arts High School, where an early iteration of the pilot (formerly-named the Just Transit Student Pass Program) reduced transportation costs for the 50% of juniors relying on public transportation to get to campus.  

Following the success of the South LA fareless transit pilot program in August 2020, LAUSD and Metro Board of Directors unanimously passed a proposal to scale these efforts, providing TK-12 and community college students throughout the County with unlimited Metro rides from October 2021 through June 2023 (find a list of participating districts here). This exciting expansion of the South LA pilot begins Phase 1 of Metro’s Fareless System Initiative. During this phase, students in eight school districts (and counting) will get a free TAP card that can be used on all Metro-operated transit options, and they will be able to use other municipally operated transit systems in the area for free, including those of Culver City, Norwalk, LADOT’s DASH, Montebello and Santa Monica. 

Los Angeles Mayor, Eric Garcetti stressed the importance of mobility and access stating, “Access to our systems should be a right, not a privilege, and the decision to move forward with free ridership for young Angelenos is a critical step toward a system that is accessible to every rider — regardless of zip code or income level” ^1. 

LAUSD officials hope that this initiative will also provide students with better access to all that Los Angeles has to offer, from museums and cultural sites to work and internship opportunities, relieving the financial barrier many LAUSD students face to achieving a more balanced life. Officials also expect this initiative to help cement fareless public transit as a mainstay for future generations of Angelenos. 

The work with students is just the beginning. With 70% of Metro’s rider’s considered “low-income”, the Metro’s Fareless System Initiative sets out to support mobility for LA County residents managing the ever-rising cost of living and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To address these needs, Phase 2 will include non-student, low-income riders, which effort is expected to start in January 2022. 

1. LAUSD. “Los Angeles Unified School District and L.A. Metro Announce Partnership to Provide Free Transit Passes for All Los Angeles Unified Students (10-1-21).” Los Angeles Unified School District , 1 Oct. 2021, https://achieve.lausd.net/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=4466&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=112021&PageID=1. 

10 New Bus Shelters Coming to Council District 8

Less than 25% of bus stops in the city of Los Angeles are covered.

Given the scarcity of shade in Los Angeles, rising temperatures, heat-island effects of cement, this is a significant issue for riders who do not have a sheltered place to wait for their bus. Exposing people who ride the bus to rain, sun, and excessive heat is a public health concern. As noted in the New York Times article Why Shade is a Mark of Privilege in Los Angeles, this issue impacts community members in the South LA promise zone disproportionately, due to relatively higher rates of use of public transit in South LA neighborhoods and lower amounts of tree cover. 

Image retrieved from Google Maps | Image Capture: May 2019 | ©2020 Google | United States

A grant from the 11th Hour Project, secured in partnership with Investing in Place, offers funds to install 10 new bus shelters at uncovered bus stops in Council District 8-- stops where people who ride the bus currently stand exposed to the elements. The Bus Shelter Blitz, as the project has been called,  Has been working to determine where the bus stops should go in Council District 8 has been a process led by SLATE-Z.

New bus shelters will entail:

1. Permanent shade structure with a bench

2. Hydration stations (water fountains) where feasible

Example of bus shelter installation

Over 300 Surveys Conducted 

SLATE-Z Conducted community outreach at events and in neighborhoods in South LA. 

At the Central Avenue Jazz Festival on July 27th and 28th, 2019, we conducted written surveys on which respondents could circle their top 10 preferred bus shelter locations and provide feedback about the transit experience. 

At the Taste of Soul Festival on October 19th, residents engaged with our digitized survey, through which they could select their top 10 bus shelter locations and provide feedback on various issues of transportation safety. Through this second iteration of our outreach efforts, SLATE-Z was able to collect useful data and achieve a greater understanding of transit needs in CD 8.

This November, we deployed a team of our partners at CD Tech on a door knocking campaign throughout the district. Our survey, which was available in both English and Spanish, facilitated discussions and the ability for residents to shape the transit infrastructure that affects their daily lives. In contacting over 300 South LA transit riders, our Bus Shelter Blitz campaign required a large mobilization effort to obtain necessary data. This  process allowed us to hear from those who regularly utilize the transit services we seek to improve. 

Based on this outreach, the top 10 feasible locations in CD 8 are:

Western Ave & Adams Blvd bus stop ( North bound)

Western Ave & Exposition Blvd bus stop (North bound)

Western Ave & Florence Ave bus stop (North bound)

Figueroa St & Florence Ave bus stop (South bound)

Vermont Ave & Exposition Blvd bus stop (South bound)

Crenshaw Blvd & Slauson Ave bus stop (North bound)

Florence Ave & Vermont Ave bus stop (West bound)

Western Ave & Century Blvd bus stop (North bound)

Western Ave & Florence Ave bus stop (South bound)

Vermont Ave & Manchester Ave bus stop (South bound)

SLATE-Z is currently in contact with Council District Member Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and will submit the above sites for permitting. Stay tuned for bus shelter installations coming in 2020. 

Other major findings:

We conducted comprehensive outreach regarding the public transit experience in Council District 8. Residents had the opportunity to provide open-ended feedback on what is necessary to improve their transit experience. Overwhelmingly, respondents identified the need for increased safety and security at bus stops and on buses. Safety—both on the buses and at bus stops—was determined to be a major concern for people who ride the bus 

The timeliness and frequency of buses was another challenge illuminated by survey respondents. SLATE-Z continues to advocate for community-led infrastructure improvements the improve transportation options for community members - especially those with the least options. We understand that ease of mobility for South LA residents is crucial to their safety, quality of life and economic success.

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Read more about the Bus Shelter Blitz on Investing in Place’s website!