Metro - File #: 2021-0209

• File #: 2021-0209
• Type: Informational Report
• Status: Filed
• File created: 4/2/2021
• In control: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• On agenda: 4/22/2021
• Final action: 4/22/2021
• Title: RECEIVE AND FILE Report on Fareless System Initiative.
• Sponsors: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• Indexes: Access Services Inc., Automated Passenger Counting, Commerce, Congestion pricing, Customer service, Fareless System Initiative, Federal Transit Administration, Formula Allocation Procedure, Formula Funds, Gateway Cities (Southeast LA County) Service Sector, Gateway Cities subregion, Informational Report, Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE), Metro Bike Share, Motion / Motion Response, Partnerships, Pilot studies, Quality of service, Ridership, Safety, Safety and security, Security, State laws, State Of Good Repair, Subsidies, Surveys, Ticket vending machines, Transit operators, Transit System, Vehicle sharing

Date	Action By	Action	Result
4/22/2021	Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
4/15/2021	Executive Management Committee

Meeting_Body
REVISED
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
APRIL 15, 2021

Subject
SUBJECT: FARELESS SYSTEM INITIATIVE UPDATE

Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE

Heading
RECOMMENDATION

Title
RECEIVE AND FILE Report on Fareless System Initiative.

Issue
ISSUE
At the March 25, 2021 meeting Metro's Board of Directors unanimously passed Motion 43.1, relating to the Fareless System Initiative (FSI). Motion 43.1 recognized that the time is right for Metro to consider fareless transit and recommended a report back to the Board at the April 2021 meeting with information on a number of questions regarding a possible fareless system. Included in this report are responses to each of the points raised in the Motion.

Background
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the Fareless System Initiative is to determine how Metro can provide financial relief to riders and bring back ridership on the LA Metro system. On September 1, 2020, Metro initiated the Fareless System Initiative (FSI) Task Force to study and identify facts, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations related to eliminating fares on Metro buses and trains. As a result of the past seven months of study and extensive discussions, the Task Force has identified an 18-month pilot, beginning with low-income LA County residents in January 2022, and expanding to include grades K through 12 in August 2022 and subsequently expanded to low-income LA County residents, with additional consideration given to expanding to Community Colleges, as the preferred approach. The pilot would conclude June 30, 2023. Additional consideration to include Community College students is also being explored.
A primary reason for this pilot approach is to learn how customers of Metro respond to this equity-based initiative. The pilot allows Metro to observe increases in ridership and gauge resource demands to more accurately forecast the cost and benefits of a fully fareless system. The scope and scale of FSI remain unprecedented in Los Angeles Count...