Mayor Bass Outlines Vision for LA Metro as New Board Chair

Mayor Karen Bass today delivered her State of the Agency Address, officially taking over as the LA Metro Board Chair. In her speech, Mayor Bass outlined key priorities for the transit system, focusing on enhancing safety, improving affordability, ensuring reliability, and preparing for the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

Mayor Bass emphasized the transformative power of public transit. "Transit is one of the most powerful tools we have to change lives. I’m deeply honored to take over as LA Metro Board Chair to accelerate our work to make public transit so affordable that it is the obvious and sustainable choice for people’s pocketbooks and daily lives," said Mayor Bass.

She articulated a vision where "Every student, every worker, every family should always be able to afford a safe, reliable ride." While Metro currently offers free and reduced fares, Mayor Bass committed to developing a long-term financial strategy to transition Metro into an eventually fare-free system. This initiative aims to expand service, create jobs, support local businesses, and improve access to education and healthcare.