Community Corner
MTA Bus Riders Protest Route Cuts
At a Metropolitan Transit Authority hearing in Beverly Hills, bus riders decry possible route changes.
Riders from all over Los Angeles attended a Metropolitan Transit Authority hearing Wednesday in Beverly Hills to urge the MTA not to enact proposed reductions to bus routes that service the Westside and Central Los Angeles.
The buses in the Westside/Central area that would be affected are numbers 2, 26, 209, 217 and 757. The rapid transit 720 bus that goes through Beverly Hills along Wilshire Boulevard from Santa Monica to downtown would not be affected by the proposed changes.
The MTA is considering discontinuing lines 26 and 209 as of June 26, 2011. It may also end line 217 east of the Vine Station and move the line 2 terminus to Union Station. It may discontinue service on line 704 east of Alvarado Street.
Find out what's happening in Beverly Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The changes are needed to better integrate services between Metro buses and trains, and also to save money, MTA officials said.
At a packed meeting room in the , 22 people made comments to the Metro's Westside/Central Service Council. Virtually all comments urged the MTA not to make the planned service cuts.
Find out what's happening in Beverly Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Jefferson Park resident Oscar McFarlane told MTA officials that he takes several of the routes being discussed to get to his two jobs. He cannot afford a car, he said, adding that without bus service he does not know how he will remain employed.
MTA regional director Jon Hillmer said he was impressed by the turnout at the meeting.
“These speakers made a significant impact,” he told Patch. This was the third meeting MTA held across Los Angeles County to discuss the proposed changes to the bus routes.
In considering modifying the bus routes, the MTA is trying to “reduce service duplication,” Hillmer said. More information on the proposed bus line changes can be found at the Metro website.
The Westside/Central Service Council is expected to make a decision on these bus routes at its next monthly meeting, 5 p.m. March 9 at the La Cienega Tennis Center. The meetings take place at the tennis center because it's central to the Westside and accessible via public transportation, Hillmer said.
