Local 7 buses are stuffed like sardines during rush hour in a manner far worse than before, when they actually come, and when they actually stop. This morning 20 people were left standing at Pico/Fairfax because a nearly full Local 7 bus decided not to stop and pick anybody up. The last two weeks, the Local 7 eastbound service that used to arrive around 5:20-5:25 pm at Pico/Roxbury didn't show up at all. The next buses that finally showed up 15-20 mintues later were stuffed beyond capacity.
Calls for the Big Blue Bus to DO something about this have clearly gone unheard as the Big Blue Bus probably just hopes that those pesky Local 7 bus riders simply wear themselves out and accept their fate.
This is not to say that the Rapid 7 service isn't a success. It clearly is. The shiny new articulated Rapid 7 buses carrying passengers from Santa Monica to the Wilshire/Western Purple Line station are full. Like a shiny new toy, this service is getting attention from Big Blue Bus, while the boring, sad, old, lonely toy of the Local 7 gets ignored.
I'm not suggesting cutting the new Rapid 7 service. In fact, I support it fully. I wish the buses went to Vermont/Wilshire to allow a one-seat transfer to from the Red Line too. However, what would be helpful is if Big Blue Bus just admitted the truth about the Local 7. They've clearly cut rush hour Local 7 service in favor of the Rapid 7 service and are hoping Local 7 riders either keep quiet or go away.
Cutting Local 7 service during rush hour if the local ridership had declined would make sense. That ridership has not declined. Therefore, I call upon the Big Blue Bus to please, please, please, restore the obviously cut rush hour service on this corridor or at least run articulated Local 7s so that local service passengers can at least get on the bus when it finally arrives.
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