Bass wants to make Los Angeles Metro system "fare-free"

“My vision as board chair includes four priorities: Metro safe, Metro affordable, Metro reliable, and Metro ready,” Bass said.

Bass assumed the role of Chair of the Metro Board of Directors for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Bass previously served as Chair of the Board during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

To make the Los Angeles Metro more affordable, Bass said that she wants to expand the LIFE program, which provides free rides and discounts to low income residents. In the LIFE program, once an applicant is approved, they receive a 90 day unlimited ride free pass. After 90 days, admitted residents are given 20 free rides per month. 

“This year, as chair, I want to grow the LIFE program and develop a long-term financial strategy and plan for Metro to finally be fare-free,” Bass said.

A fare-free transit system has raised concerns for Steven Greenhut, the director of the Free Cities Center for Pacific Research Institute, who cited similar programs that failed in Portland, Ore., and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greenhut said that even though he thinks it should be easy to get on the Metro, it shouldn’t be free for everyone.

“Some of these buses became roving homeless shelters, and from what I've read, fare-free programs sometimes work in small cities and in tourist areas, but overall, it creates safety problems,” Greenhut told The Center Square in an interview Wednesday. “We devalue things that we don't pay for.”

Bass also listed programs that are in place which provide free rides to K-12 students, community college students, seniors and people with disabilities.

A significant amount of taxpayer funding was used to make Los Angeles Metro cleaner, according to Bass.

“Despite a tough fiscal year, we not only kept every Metro service fully funded, but we've invested more than $300 million to keep Metro clean,” Bass said.

According to Greenhut, while investing in the cleanliness of the Metro system is a good thing, the system itself needs to undergo changes. 

“It's not a financially efficient system in L.A. They need to spend their money on things that make it a better system,” Greenhut said. “Cleanliness is a good one and crime fighting is a good one.”

The Los Angeles public transit system, which is the second largest transit system in the nation behind New York City, had over 300 million boardings on buses and trains last year, according to Mayor Bass.

“A region where transit is safe, affordable, reliable, and ready, means every Angeleno can get around without a car and to every community, it means expanded opportunities and a stronger local economy,” Bass said.

Los Angeles is set to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will become just the third city in world history to host the Olympics on three different occasions. Bass said that the transit system is prepared for the Games.

“And I certainly viewed the World Cup as a dress rehearsal for the Olympics, and it was certainly a dress rehearsal of our system,” Bass said. “We're ready for the Olympics.”

The Center Square reached out to the Los Angeles Republican Party, but did not receive a statement by the time of publication.