MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA wants to give Angelenos a free ride. His theory is that if you waive the fares on L.A. public transit for a week, people who might not otherwise take the buses and trains will give them a chance -- and find that they like it so much, they'll leave their cars in the garage more often. In a perfect world, it would be a fine idea; in the real one, it's a bust.
Villaraigosa recently asked the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to study the cost of his free transit proposal, which is modeled on a program in the Bay Area called Spare the Air. Created with the dual purpose of reducing emissions and introducing public transit to people who don't normally use it, the program goes into effect on days when smog is expected to exceed federal health limits. It has strong political support in the Bay Area, and in some ways it has been effective. Ridership has increased by between 8% and 10% during the six free days this year.
But free transit days haven't been free of problems or controversy. The most recent sparing of the air came during a blistering heat wave, which filled the buses and trains not only with commuters but with homeless people attracted by the air conditioning. Transit police also report a big uptick in crime and rider complaints on free days, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Trains have been vandalized, passengers on badly overcrowded cars intimidated, while rowdy teens fight and toss food containers everywhere. Not exactly the kind of atmosphere to convince commuters that taking the train is an attractive alternative to driving.
