Bus Riders Blast MTA Cuts, Warn Economic Recovery At Risk

June 24, 2011 11:28 AM

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.

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.

Bus Riders Blast MTA Cuts, Warn Economic Recovery At Risk

Ken Angerstein

What economic recovery? Oh, that’s right. This is a Democratic city. So, we just have to keep up the lie.
ginny

Someone explain to me how cutting some of the bus routes is being turned into a possible civil rights issue. God help us all. Everything is turning into civil rights or profiling issue in this coutry now. Of couse the only ones they are referring to is illegals for the most part. Citizens are only good for funding all of this even when our pockets are empty.
adolfo

I am sick and tired of poor people always complaining about their life. Hey, you went to school and had a chance to get a scholarship and go to college so you would not have these type of issues. I am tired of supporting your laziness which has given you a lower quality of life. Let them eliminate all buses, let them raise gas prices. These would be non issues to you if you had a good job like the hard working people who went to college and made their life instead of begging for hand outs!