Metrolink Moves Forward with Some Service Cuts

1_8_10_metrolink.jpgPhoto: The 818 Now

The Southern California Transit Advocate’s Ken Ruben reports from today’s Metrolink Board meeting that the agency is moving forward with some of the proposed service cuts that the agency first proposed in the fall of 2009.  As you may remember, debate raged and eventually the Board asked staff to look at other options, which of course included a rate hike.  The Metrolink Board voted for these cuts instead of a fare hike.

Via Dana Gabbard:

Ken Ruben attended the Metrolink Board meeting today and informs me the
weekend reductions to the Orange County and IEOC services plus
eliminating mid-day IEOC weekday service (items 3A and 3B) was approved
along with an accounting move regarding employees (item 5). The changes
will take place in early Feb., date not specified.

http://metrolinktrains.com/documents/Board_Agenda/010810_Board_Agenda_rev2.pdf (see p.25, the 34th page of the packet)

(An earlier version of this post implied that fare increases were still on the way.  Ruben reports below that there will be no fare hikes in the current fiscal year.)

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

For Metrolink It’s a 6% Fare Hike vs. Major Service Cuts

By Damien Newton |
This was one of four cars on an Orange County Line run leaving Los Angeles Union Station to Orange County and Oceanside. It gets busier in Orange County.  Photo and description: LA Wad/Flickr Two weeks ago, I celebrated that the Metrolink Board agreed to "look into other options" rather than raise fares by 6%. Maybe […]

Today, Metro Talks Cuts. Tomorrow, Metrolink Talks Hikes

By Damien Newton |
The next two days will see two different board meetings, by two different local transit agencies, dealing with the same budget crunch almost every transit agency across the country is facing. At 9:30 this morning, the Metro Board will vote on whether or not to cut over 200,000 hours of service to its Class 1 […]

Metrolink Next Up for Fare Hikes

By Damien Newton |
Last Friday, Metrolink announced plans to raise fares and cut service effective on July 1. Wait a second, you might be thinking, Metrolink announced these hikes over a year ago. True, but these fare hikes are in addition to the ones passed in 2007. From Metrolink’s press release: Because of the escalating cost of diesel […]

Metrolink Board Holds Fare Increases

By Damien Newton |
Photo:SP8254/Flickr Trying to follow the lead given last year when Mayor Villaraigosa devised a way to hold off proposed and "needed" service cuts at Metro, the Metrolink Board of Directors voted last week to hold off on increasing fares for at least a month while it looks for other options. The Board was widely expected […]