If it were up to Larry Jackson, CEO of Long Beach Transit, he would institute the U-Pass program between Cal State Long Beach and Long Beach Transit every hour of every day. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done.
Faced with a $10 million loss due to drastic cuts in state funding, a decline in sales taxes revenue and a poor economy altogether, Long Beach Transit cannot afford to continue funding the U-Pass program year-round, Jackson said.
Having ditched the initial plan to cut the program entirely, Long Beach Transit found a way to accommodate students and faculty by cutting the program during the summer and winter sessions.
When asked how she feels about the U-Pass program being shut down for the summer, CSULB student Samantha Sieple said, “It’s going to cost me a lot more money and now I have to choose between paying and using my car more. But at least it’s starting up again next semester.”
Mark Rudometkin, associate director of parking and transportation, said his office worked closely with Long Beach Transit to come up with a solution that would cut cost and still hold the program in place for the heavier usage times of the academic year.
“We were excited to work with LBT to give full service during peak time and we were excited about doing it in a fiscally responsible way by not passing the cost on to the students,” Rudometkin said.
“We don’t want to lose or make any money,” Jackson said. “But somebody has to pay the bill.”
The cutback to the program can especially affect students living far from campus. Diego Cabrera, freshman Chicano Studies major, lives in Los Angeles and takes three buses to get to campus.
“It was cheaper with the U-Pass, not having to pay for the buses here in Long Beach,” he said.
The program has been strongly supported by CSULB President F. King Alexander and Associated Students Inc., and Jackson believes it is an environmentally friendly program that allows students to connect with their community.
According to Jackson, at the beginning of the partnership, the university paid the transit authority $250,000, which is the estimated cost of running the program that carries an average of 1,200 people per day.
Jackson said that after the U-Pass program began, that average rose 500 percent, to 3,000-5,000 people riding per day, forcing Long Beach Transit to add more buses in order to carry the growth in passengers. This cost Long Beach Transit an additional $100,000 over the $250,000 originally paid over the year for the program, while CSULB also came up with an extra $30,000. The difference came out of Long Beach Transit’s own pocket even though they have increased fares twice in two years.
The decision to cut the summer and winter U-Pass was made after both CSULB and Long Beach Transit were not willing to make up the deficit for another full year of the U-Pass operation.
Jackson said that Long Beach Transit as a whole has decided to cut 3 percent of its hourly operations by making less frequent stops along several routes, which will go into effect this fall. There will also be a decreased amount of buses on the road, resulting in more time in between pick-ups.
According to Jackson, Long Beach Transit is currently hiring, unlike the Orange County Transit Authority, which has fired many employees.
Jackson said, “Either you raise prices or you stop service.”
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