Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Transit Authority to Offer Free Rides

LANCASTER — There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but for Antelope Valley commuters there are free rides.

In an effort to boost ridership on three commuter lines added in the wake of the Northridge earthquake, the Antelope Valley Transit Authority is offering free rides on those routes next week.

The free rides are being offered Monday to Friday on the Van Nuys, Los Angeles International Airport area and Century City/West Los Angeles lines. The free rides do not apply to the transit agency’s San Fernando Valley and downtown Los Angeles commuter lines.

All three of the post-quake routes, which cost more than $400,000 a month, are being funded primarily by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will pay 90% of the net cost of the service, said Tim Galbraith, AVTA grants manager. The state will pay three-fourths of the balance, leaving the transit agency with only a small tab.

Commuter service to Van Nuys was initiated April 4. Service to the LAX area began April 11, and service to Century City and West Los Angeles began April 13.

Ridership has been low. The Van Nuys line has been used the most, with about a dozen daily riders. The LAX line has had only about five daily riders, Galbraith said.

“Brand new service is always like this,” he said. “This is all brand new so any promotion we can do early on in the service helps build a core ridership.”

Government funding for the three lines is expected to continue until the interchange of the Antelope Valley and Golden State freeways, damaged by the Jan. 17 quake, is repaired, Galbraith said.

Once the government funding dries up, the routes will be continued only if ridership is high enough to cover the cost of services, he said.

Monthly passes for the Van Nuys line are $115, while the monthly fare on the LAX and Century City lines is $130.