What’s the main barrier to increasing mass transit ridership? LA Metro calls it the First/Last Mile problem and is dedicating resources to solving it.

Here’s an example: A white sedan circled the parking lot of the El Monte Bus Station for 10 minutes around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 28, unable to find an empty space.

Simply put, people find it difficult to get to and from public stations to ride buses and trains.

That’s why LA Metro launched a one-year pilot program Monday with a private ride-hailing service called Via. The program will offer those living near the El Monte, Artesia and North Hollywood Metro stations a ride similar to those from Uber or Lyft but at a fraction of the cost.

The idea is to put more people in bus and train seats who cannot afford to take Uber and Lyft to the stations, or are without the means to participate in such first-mile, last-mile ride-hailing services that link up riders with mass transit.

New ride-hailing

Riders with a LA Metro TAP card would pay $1.75, the same as the base fare for riding a bus or train. The driver would pick up other passengers, making it a shared ride that Metro officials said would cut down on additional congestion and air pollution caused by traditional single-passenger ride-hailing services that add cars to the roads.

Metro has inked a $2.5 million contract for the experimental program, including about $1.35 million in grant monies from the Federal Transit Administration.

Via users can type in their TAP card number into the app if they have a smart phone. Or give the number to an operator at their call center. Via also accepts prepaid debit cards.

“You will not need to have a credit card; you will not need a smart phone and you will not need a bank account,” said Joshua Schank, chief innovation officer for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, during a kick-off event at the El Monte bus station.

Without a TAP, the ride goes up to $3.75, incentive for Via users to buy a $1 TAP card at LA Metro train stations and service centers and load it with money.

LA Metro partners with Via in a yearlong pilot project to bring affordable on-demand ridesharing to LA Metro’s El Monte station on Monday, January 28, 2019. The rideshare app will also be available at Artesia and North Hollywood stations. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

LA Metro partners with Via in a yearlong pilot project to bring affordable on-demand ridesharing to LA Metro’s El Monte station on Monday, January 28, 2019. The rideshare app will also be available at Artesia and North Hollywood stations. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

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Riders wait for buses at LA Metro’s El Monte station on Monday, January 28, 2019. LA Metro partnered with Via in a yearlong pilot project to bring affordable on-demand ridesharing to El Monte, Artesia and North Hollywood stations. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Joshua Shank, of LA Metro, speaks to the press with, from left, Dillon Twombly, of Via, John Fasana, Metro Board member, and Brian Haas, of LA Metro, as they kickoff LA Metro’s yearlong pilot project partnership with Via, an affordable on-demand ridesharing app, at LA Metro’s El Monte station on Monday, January 28, 2019. The rideshare app will also be available at Artesia and North Hollywood stations. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

LA Metro partners with Via in a yearlong pilot project to bring affordable on-demand ridesharing to LA Metro’s El Monte station on Monday, January 28, 2019. The rideshare app will also be available at Artesia and North Hollywood stations. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)



LA Metro partners with Via in a yearlong pilot project to bring affordable on-demand ridesharing to LA Metro’s El Monte station on Monday, January 28, 2019. The rideshare app will also be available at Artesia and North Hollywood stations. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Crowded parking lots

After LA Metro builds a new train line, the parking garages fill up quickly. Often, so do the bike lockers.

That leaves few options for getting to and from the station for a potential mass transit user.

Some bike share proposals sponsored by Metro, such as the one in Pasadena, have failed for lack of users, limiting first-mile, last-mile options.

“The parking can be full. The buses can be slow,” Schank said. “This (Via) is a new option for getting people to and from our transit stations.”

“It is tailored to people who are low income, who are disabled or do not have smart phones yet can now get on-demand mobile service to and from three of our stations in Los Angeles County.”

Alex Sanchez, 20, was waiting for a ride at the bus station in El Monte.

He said using Via to reach the station or a nearby location is something he will consider.

“You can save money if you do that as compared to using other (ride-hailing services),” he said.

Via pilot zones

Via picks up riders within the following service areas:

— Between S. Avalon Boulevard and the Long Beach Freeway and Alondra Boulevard and Victory Street surrounding the Artesia Blue Line light-rail station

— Between Burbank Boulevard and Verdugo Avenue and Colfax Avenue and N. Glenoaks Boulevard surrounding the North Hollywood Red Line subway station

–From Valley and Ramona boulevards to Durfee Avenue and Rush Street, and west to Rosemead Boulevard around El Monte.

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LA Metro task force will seek to eliminate fares on buses, trains Download the Via app or dial the call center at 619-731-0710 to create an account and book a ride.

Via predicts most riders will wait 10 minutes or less. For more information go to metro.net/via.

“What is not to like about this pilot project? It is an affordable mobility option,” said Duarte City Councilman and LA Metro Board Member John Fasana, who spoke at the launch.

Schank said the effort is part of LA Metro’s Office of Innovation, which tries out new public-private partnerships for solving transit problems.

“We will see what happens over the course of a year,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”