Swift exit – How shutting down LA Swift will set us back

Despite a steady ridership at around 10,500 passengers a month, the LA Swift bus service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans will stop running at the end of this month, with the DOTD announcing it would not renew the service’s contract.

The funding stream for the bus system, once fully covered by the federal government and begun after Hurricane Katrina, is set to change, requiring a local funding match. In a statement posted on the LA Swift site, DOTD says, “Local entities have not identified funding to subsidize the service” and that “FTA regulations do not allow [fares or an increase in fares] to be applied toward the required local match; consequently, regardless of any reasonable fare increase, local funds would still be required.”

This comes as a heavy blow to the users of the bus system, even with about 53% saying they were willing to pay more than the current $5 charge to keep the system running, according to a survey from AARP, Center for Planning Excellence, RIDE New Orleans and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Being that the DOTD’s announcement comes less than a month before the expected shutdown of the service, it seems to indicate there wasn’t much effort made to identify replacement funds to begin with. Which is unfortunate, because most of these riders were frequent users from low-income households (about 74% with less than $40,000 in income) who relied on the bus as an affordable way to get to work, visit loved ones and access health care. Many college students rely on the service as well to visit home on the weekends or commute to internships.

Roundtrip prices on LA Swift are $10, whereas just a one-way ticket on the Greyhound line between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is $25. It’s important to note, also, that neither service provides connections to either city’s airport.

And while some might shrug it off as another expense that needs to be axed, the ridership alone is a strong indicator of the potential market for alternative transportation options between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. You know, like the pie-in-the-sky rail plan that’s been brought up here, here, here … let’s see, where else? Here, oh and here, and here’s a study from 2010, and here’s news of another study on the way.

So, while we’re talking about how important connectivity is between our two major cities, and how much of an attractive economic boon it would be, the state’s bringing to an end one of the few services that move us in that direction with little concern about finding a solution.

As the DOTD said in a Business Report story, “If a local entity would like to enter into a contract to continue services starting July 1, federal funds may be available to them. Additionally, Greyhound provides a self-sustaining bus service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.”

In other words, DOTD is:

Fortunately, RIDE New Orleans, Bike Baton Rouge and many other groups are already trying to spread the word to save the service, through a Change.org petition you can sign here. It’s a good show of support for expanding and improving connectivity between the two largest metropolitan areas in Louisiana.