This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

City Cuts Funding for Shared Bus Line, Adds Conditions

Manhattan Beach reduces its support for Line 109, demanding a new bus stop and clearer data on local use.

The City Council gave conditional approval this week for a $23,027 allocation from the general fund to cover Manhattan Beach's share of next year's operating costs for Beach Cities Transit (BCT) Line 109. The bus line winds through the three beach cities, El Segundo and a part of greater Los Angeles, all of which contribute money under a cost-sharing agreement.

Nearly one-fifth of the route is in Manhattan Beach, resulting in a proportionate cost of $32,895 for each of the next two years. The council decided to make up the discrepancy by exchanging its limited general fund money to buy, at a 30 percent reduced rate, Proposition A funds from Hermosa Beach.

City funds for 2011-12 will depend on whether BCT installs a bus stop in front of Manhattan Village Mall and presents a report showing bus usage by Manhattan Beach residents, including the number of riders, their frequency of use and bus stops at which they board.

Find out what's happening in Manhattan Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

These details, which were not included in BCT's Tuesday presentation to the council, will help ensure that the city does not pay for a system that does not directly benefit its residents or its businesses, Councilman Wayne Powell said.

"My concern is that there may not be necessarily a fair allocation or cost-sharing measure," Powell said. "We just want it to be fair and equitable and make sure that they're efficient."

Find out what's happening in Manhattan Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The bus system, launched in 2004, originally ran along the coast of the beach cities up to LAX. When the Los Angeles County MTA discontinued three routes in the beach cities area, BCT expanded Line 109 inward to fill the gap.

To cover the expense of the extension, El Segundo and the three beach cities agreed in June 2006 to share the cost based on the percentage of route miles in each city.

Powell said the program was expected to break even within a year or two, but that now it is costing more than in years past.

Last year, BCT extended Line 109 again, from 12.7 to 17.45 miles. The move raised the percentage that Manhattan Beach would have to contribute for 2010-2011, from 16 to 19 percent.

Mayor Pro Tem Richard Montgomery said he was "disappointed" that the council was never notified of the change, pointing out that it is unclear how many bus passengers use the route to transfer to the Metro Green Line, instead of getting off in Manhattan Beach.

Once the council receives more precise information, it will review the data and allocate money for the second year of the cost-sharing agreement accordingly.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?