LA Metro slashes bike-share fares

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has cut prices for its bike share system, which provides rentable bikes to access transit stations or get around LA.

The cost of a single bike ride has been reduced to $1.75 from $3.50, while the price of a monthly pass has been reduced to $17 from $20. The agency also rolled out a $5 all-day pass for unlimited trips of 30 minutes or less.

Later this year, Metro will introduce other new bike-share fare options, including a $150 annual pass and reduced fare passes for seniors, students, low-income individuals and people with disabilities.

The agency also plans to expand the bike-share program to LA County's Westside, with new bike-share stations to be installed in Culver City, Playa Del Rey and Palms.

In total, Metro plans to provide 700 additional bikes and 79 new stations by mid-2019, agency officials said in a press release. Metro's current fleet numbers 1,400 bikes.

Metro has worked with cities to place bike-share stations near rail stations to help people complete the first and last legs of their journeys, officials added.

"We've made significant changes to our bike share program to ensure it becomes a more practical transportation solution and one that operates as a natural extension of our region's public transit system," said Metro Chief Executive Officer Phillip Washington.

To learn more about Metro's bike-share program and other transit agencies' efforts to provide first- and last-mile services, read this feature from Progressive Railroading's July issue.