Westwood FlyAway Bus to Continue for 6 Months With University Subsidy

Westwood FlyAway bus to LAX extended for 6 months

Art Marroquin, 7/11/11, Daily Breeze

The Westwood FlyAway bus will continue to shuttle passengers to Los Angeles International Airport for at least six more months, but one-way fares will be doubled to $10 and hours could be reduced to keep the route alive, officials said Monday.

The FlyAway system's Westwood route was on the chopping block earlier this year, but the service was granted a reprieve after airport and UCLA officials hammered out a series of revamped guidelines.

Despite the changes, the route will continue to operate at a $74,000 annual deficit, a significant decline from the $1 million deficit reported last year. In total, the Westwood route has drained $7.6 million from airport coffers over the past four years.

"If we cannot increase ridership and make it viable six months from now, we will have to shut it down," said Airport Commissioner Fernando Torres-Gil, a professor at UCLA.

With an average of only seven passengers per bus, ridership has remained stagnant on the Westwood FlyAway route. Growth was impeded by poor parking and various other transportation options to LAX.

To address those concerns, UCLA will set aside 25 parking spaces for FlyAway passengers, expanding up to 100 spaces as demand increases. Additionally, the university will promote and market the Westwood route as a way to bolster ridership among students and those living near the campus.

UCLA will also pay $58,000 for extra bus operations during busy semester breaks...

Full article at http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_18457572
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