Judge Rules Against BRU and NRDC. Fare Hikes Don’t Require EIS.
The Bottleneck Blog reports that yesterday a Superior Court Judge ruled that Metro did not violate any laws when they raised fares last July without first completing an environmental review. The thrust of the case was that because fare increases cause fewer people to ride transit, the increases will result in greater air pollution as more people turn to the automobile.
California law has a clear exemption from environmental reviews provided that the agency can show that the increased funds are going to operating costs. However, the NRDC argued that you could see the clear effects of the increase on passengers. Even while Metro rail experiences record ridership numbers, bus ridership has decreased 5%.
David Petit explains the basics in NRDC's press release:
“Today’s ruling means more people will be forced to take potentiallymore polluting forms of transportation to work, school or church. MTAshould make it easier, not harder, for riders to use publictransportation. When people switch from buses to cars due to higher busfares, the result will be dirtier air. There’s no question that thecost of a bus ride impacts the environment."
There is no word from either the NRDC or the Bus Rider's Union on whether or not there will be an appeal.
Photo: Damien Newton
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