OCTA Bus Books to cost $1.00 this September to offset marketing costs

OCTA will begin charging $1.00 for the Bus Book — which contains all of OCTA's and Orange County transit operators' bus and train schedules — due to budget shortfalls.

According to OCTA staff, their Bus Book is the most preferred source of bus information versus online, texting, bus stop information, and even printing out schedules with their e-Busbook website feature. 

"An important part of the OCTA marketing program is the provision of public information. The Bus Book identifies all of the bus routes and schedules and provides details about how to ride the bus, fares, passes, etc. Staff is identifying ways to continue to provide this level of printed customer information during times of significant budget constraints. A pilot program, charging $1.00 for the bus book is being tested in September 2010. The purpose of the program is to offset marketing costs so that this type of information can continue to be provided."

Several recent OCTA marketing surveys in the past few years indicated that a majority of bus riders would purchase a bus book to manage costs.

The Orange County Register has other details on OCTA's $1 fee:

A 2007 bus customer survey indicated 60 percent would purchase a bus book, according to an agency report. The bus book is the most preferred use of information, officials said.

At Monday's OCTA board meeting, some board members expressed discontent with having to charge bus riders another fee while others questioned whether the agency should still provide the printed books.

Board members Curt Pringle and Bill Campbell discussed outsourcing the bus book program to a private entity.

"I think there's many avenues by which people can access bus schedules – internet, at the library, mobile connectivity," Pringle said. "A printed bus book is an obsolete practice."

The book sales revenue will not count toward fare box recovery but will help support the bus information program, officials said. A regular fare costs $1.50. In January 2009, fares increased 25 cents.

"I don't think that's fair to do to our fare payers when we just raised their fare and we're contemplating another increase and if we cannot designate that toward fare revenue then I'm uncomfortable with another tax or fee," said board member John Moorlach, also a county supervisor.

According to OCTA, Transit Advocates of Orange County - an all-volunteer group that works to improve bus, rail, biking and walking in the county – approves of the book sales program.

Roy Shahbazian, a member of Transit Advocates, said that over the years the information available to passengers has been lacking.

"...Faced with the choice of having the bus books further reduced, which is what we heard from the staff, it seemed reasonable to do what we could to make sure that the information continued to be available...especially in a time when the buses are less frequent."