Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
APRIL 15, 2021
Subject
SUBJECT: BETTER BUS PROGRAM
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE report on Metro's new Better Bus program, a Customer Experience initiative to improve service for our bus customers.
Issue
ISSUE
Metro is launching a new initiative, the Better Bus Program, to transform the bus riding experience in Los Angeles County to provide dignified experiences for the 75 percent of Metro riders who take the bus each day. This report describes the rationale for creating the program, the key focus areas, the current work plan, and next steps for advancing the program.
Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Better Bus, a new agency-wide effort coordinated by the Customer Experience unit in the Office of the CEO, seeks to highlight and address bus rider needs by making improvements to bus services and stops. The purpose of Better Bus is to align Metro's collective efforts around elevating investments that improve bus speed, ease, safety and comfort. Metro aims to transform the bus riding journeys in Los Angeles County by providing dignified experiences for the three-fourths of Metro riders that take the bus.
Better Bus gives special attention to bus riders, guided by our board-adopted Equity Platform, which calls for "an equality of outcome" and not just equal treatment of our riders. For example, where rail riders largely have shelter, lighting, seating at all train stations, most bus riders lack access to these basic amenities at stops (only 24% of stops served by Metro have shelter). Better Bus works toward providing dignified trip experiences for all riders, by addressing the greatest inequities first, which are largely felt by our bus riders.
Currently, the half-a-million daily riders on our bus system disproportionately represent Equity Focus Communities (communities Metro defines as high-need based on income, race, and car ow...
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