Westwood will keep its Flyaway bus stop for another six months but at a slightly higher cost to riders, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners voted today.
“At least for now, the service is saved,” said Renée Fortier, director of UCLA Transportation.
One-way fare for the shuttle service will increase from $5 to $10 sometime in early August, Fortier said.
There will be no changes to the route, and, for now, service hours remain the same. But it is likely the service will be reduced to every hour instead of every half hour, Fortier said.
The vote was preceded by a report showing that Westwood FlyAway has only met 50 percent of anticipated demand, contributing to a more than $4 million deficit service-wide.
In an effort to make the FlyAway more economical for Los Angeles World Airports and more appealing to patrons, UCLA has offered parking spaces in Parking Structure 32 so patrons with cars can park overnight, Fortier said.
UCLA will also assist with marketing and contribute toward funding more buses on holidays, Fortier said.
Overall, the six-month extension period will serve as a trial run, Fortier said.
“UCLA and the community have to prove the FlyAway will not require a subsidy,” she said.