Westlake cuts one-way transit fee





One-way public transit riders in Westlake will enjoy an early holiday gift when the city’s bus fare goes down by half on Dec. 1. The Westlake Village City Council approved the fare decrease earlier this month, cutting the one-way fare from $2 to $1.

The change affects about 15 to 20 riders daily who pay the one-way fare rather than purchasing an annual pass. The one-way fare was established to allow occasional riders to use the year-round service on an as-needed basis as a cost-effective alternative to purchasing an annual pass. The price of a roundtrip annual pass is $198. For riders using the service one way either in the morning or in the afternoon an annual pass is $132.

Although the service is open to all residents, most riders are children, according to Kerry Kallman, the city’s community relations coordinator. The city stepped in to help after the Las Virgenes Unified School District cut its bus service in 1990 due to budget constraints. The city began offering transportation services in January 1991.

“It’s a really unique program,” Kallman said.

In making the change the committee felt that it was easier for kids to carry less money in their pockets, according to Assistant City Manager Audrey Brown.

“We’re dealing with schoolchildren,” Brown said. “We want to make sure they get to their destination.”

The transit service runs during morning and afternoon
school drop-off and pick-up
hours, serving various neighborhoods. Students are transported to and from Lindero Canyon Middle School, Agoura High School, White Oak Elementary and St. Jude’s School.

The City Council last increased Westlake Transit fares in June of last year. Rates were raised 20 percent to cover the increased costs of adding a fifth route. At that time the single rider one-way fare was raised from $1 to $2; the change took effect for the 2005-06 school year.

Last April, the council discussed reducing the fare and referred the issue to the city’s public safety committee for further review. The committee decided to recommend the cut because the single-ride fare does not generate significant revenue.

Single rider transit fees produced $8,300 for the city during the 2005-06 school year. The new lower fare will reduce annual program revenue by about $2,100, according to city staff.

“This allows kids to move back and forth freely around
our community, visiting their friends to study or play after school,”
Councilmember Mark Rutherford said.




Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *