The majority of LA Metro’s funding is provided from Propositions A and C, and Measures R and M local sales taxes. Our Metro is unique in that the majority of its funding has been committed by all Angelenos, as opposed to other metro agencies who depend on fare collections to fund transit. Through these sales taxes, all Los Angeles residents already pay for our public transit.
LA Metro has a yearly budget of $8 billion dollars, the majority of its funds coming from these county sales taxes. Of this, only 5% of funds comes from bus and train fare, from which Metro then spends nearly 90 cents of every dollar collected on policing its buses and trains, and fare collection staffing and operational costs.
Through these sales taxes LA residents already pay for our public transit. Instead of adding to transit riders' already burdensome cost of living and instead of maintaining an expensive fare collection and enforcement system, Metro should be universally and permanently fare-free for everyone.
ACT-LA is demanding universally fare-free public transportation on Metro. Public transit is the community infrastructure that connects us to jobs, school, healthcare and family. Investing in universal fareless transit is key to racial and economic justice for low-income Black, Latinx, immigrant and youth who make up Metro’s ridership and depend on Metro for transportation. It will also grow transit ridership and aid Los Angeles in our fight for better air quality, climate solutions and less traffic congestion.
