Metro buses, especially Rapids, continue to be behind schedule

A new report out from Metro shows that the agency’s buses have gotten slower and are arriving late to stops, reports KPCC.

Worsening traffic is part of the reason for the buses’ slowdown, due in part to an improved economy and low gas prices, but attempts to adjust for traffic haven’t been too successful. “Buses have continued to fall behind in the last year and a half, particularly on Metro’s Rapid bus lines,” which are supposed to be a faster way to reach certain stops, notes KPCC.

Slower buses are actually an expensive problem for Metro. It has had to keep buses in service for additional time in order to maintain ideal bus frequency, a move that’s cost the agency $65 million over the last five years.

Bus ridership also dropped 9 percent last year.

Head over to KPCC for the full story.

• LA buses have gotten slower and increasingly off-schedule [KPCC]
• Metro ridership continues to fall [Curbed LA]