Bus Riders Blast MTA Cuts, Warn Economic Recovery At Risk
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Bus riders on Friday protested against proposed service cuts to local bus routes, warning the move could cripple the economic recovery in minority and low-income communities.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is set to scale back about 4 percent of its bus service starting this summer and again in December.
KNX 1070's John Brooks reports the L.A. Bus Riders Union doesn't buy the transit agency's pledge to trim only duplicate routes or those with frequent low ridership numbers.
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Crystal McMillian says the MTA cuts will hit inner-city commuters the hardest.
"The vast majority of these cuts are going to affect the profoundly poor in this city and the working-class people," said McMillian. "We will never see economic recovery in South L.A. or anywhere else without access to quick, efficient transportation."
Officials with the Federal Transit Administration will be reviewing MTA bus operations in mid-July to see if Metro truly is concentrating on quality over quantity or if the cuts adversely impact civil rights.
