Can L.A. Metro Fund its Fareless Transit Pilot?

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors has approved a program that would eliminate fares for students and low-income riders, but the program's future rests on finding sustainable funding sources.

2 minute read

June 6, 2021, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


The board of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has tentatively approved "a 23-month fareless transit pilot program" for K-12 and community college students—provided that the agency can prove they can cover the cost, among other conditions. "Right now, no launch date has been set, though the staff proposal sought to start with the student groups this August, then expand in January 2022 to include 'qualifying low-income residents,'" reports Ryan Fonseca in LAist.

A Metro task force has been studying the issue since September. The agency's CEO Phil Washington, "who is stepping down from his role this month, pitched exploring free transit as a moral obligation of the agency. Eliminating fares is also seen as a way to improve transit service by reducing boarding time, and encourage more people to take the system regularly by removing a financial barrier." While rider fares make up around 13% of Metro's operating costs, "roughly one-third of those costs go toward expenses related to fare collection, such as fare enforcement, accounting and fare box maintenance." Fareless transit would also address "equity concerns about Black and brown riders being targeted for fare evasion, leading to confrontations with law enforcement and deaths on the system."

With 70 percent of Metro riders qualifying as low-income, eliminating fares would be "a major step toward making the county’s bus and rail system free for all riders." But the agency must still contend with the cost of a permanent program. "In its report to the board, staff noted that 'a sustainable source of additional funding' will need to be secured for fareless transit to remain viable."

Thursday, May 27, 2021 in LAist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Adult holding hands of two children, all wearing winter coats, in crosswalk in New York City during holidays with trees decorated with lights in background.

Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009

Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’

1 hour ago - Streetsblog USA

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine