Susan Shelley: Drop in transit ridership should be a stop sign for tax hike

By Susan Shelley in LA Daily News

February 2, 2016

There was disappointing news recently for fans of higher sales taxes.

Ridership on public transportation in Southern California is declining. There are fewer passenger boardings on the Metro system now than there were 30 years ago, before the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority spent $9 billion building light rail and subway lines.

What’s the cause of the drop-off? Officials at Metro aren’t sure. They think the reasons may include higher fares, harassment of passengers, availability of driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, and the convenience of new ride-hailing services like Uber.

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Susan Shelley: Drop in transit ridership should be a stop sign for tax hike