Los Angeles DASH bus riders who pay fares with TAP cards, mobile apps or other electronic methods would pay less under a proposal that will soon be considered by the Los Angeles City Council.
The council on Wednesday asked city attorneys to draft an ordinance creating the discount fare categories. Once the ordinance is drafted, it will be considered by a council committee and eventually the full council.
DASH buses cost 50 cents for general riders and 25 cents for seniors and the disabled.
Under the proposed fare schedule, riders who use electronic payment systems would be charged 35 cents per trip, while seniors and disabled riders would pay 15 cents.
Riders who pay with cash would still need to pay the 50 cent or 25 cent fares.
City officials said at a recent Transportation Committee meeting that an advantage of switching riders to electronic payment systems — such as the Metro-issued TAP cards — is that they could help speed the process of boarding buses.
In addition to TAP cards, DASH fares can also be paid with the city’s recently introduced LA Mobile smartphone app.
Other discount fare categories being proposed include seven-day passes, which could appeal to tourists, city officials said, and 31-day passes that cost $9 — half of the regular amount — for K-12 students, college or vocational students and people who are disabled, seniors or on Medicare.
City transportation officials are also hoping the discount fares will entice more people to use DASH buses. While total revenue has risen since fares were doubled to 50 cents in 2011, DASH ridership has fallen and revenues appear to have peaked, officials said.
While it is difficult to predict the impact of the cheaper fares, at worst it could mean a $2 million loss in revenue for the city, transportation officials told the Transportation Committee last month.
City DASH buses serve downtown Los Angeles and 27 other neighborhoods around the city, including Boyle Heights, Watts, Northridge, Koreatown and South Los Angeles.
— City News Service