Mayor Karen Bass Takes Metro Chair and Pushes Toward a Fare‑Free Future

Overview

• On Wednesday Mayor Karen Bass received the ceremonial gavel to lead the Metro Board for FY 2026–27 and set four priorities: safety, affordability, reliability and readiness while directing staff to develop a long-term financial strategy aimed at a fare-free countywide system.
• Metro reported rising use of the system with 26,265,480 rides in June, roughly a 9% increase year over year, and said more than 212,000 fans used enhanced World Cup shuttle service that had no security incidents.
• County officials described measurable safety gains since 2024, noting reported violent crime is down about 22 percent, operator assaults are cut in half and serious assaults are down 67 percent, changes credited to taller fare gates, upgraded cameras and a new emergency security operations center.
• Metro is recruiting for an in-house police force to be led by Bill Scott and plans zone-based deployment with crisis co-response teams by the end of 2029, even as a legal setback in a dispute with the city of Burbank threatens to delay construction on a 19-mile bus rapid transit segment.
• The agency plans to expand peak-hour bus lanes from 80 to 100 miles by 2028 and must now resolve how to replace fare revenue, manage city permitting powers and deliver projects on time to meet growing rider expectations ahead of the 2028 Olympics.