Metro bus route may be discontinued in San Gabriel Valley

POMONA, Calif. (KABC) -- There may be changes for bus riders in the San Gabriel Valley, and southeast Los Angeles County Metro is looking to put the brakes on three major bus lines serving over a million people a year.

Thousands of Angelinos ride the same metro bus route every day.

It's the 190, which runs from the El Monte bus station through Baldwin Park, Covina, West Covina and Walnut. It also includes stops at Mt. San Antonio College and Cal Poly Pomona, but soon this route and two others could be discontinued by Metro.

"A lot of people do need this route for work and other personal reasons," said one commuter.

A recent Metro report proposed changes to the 190, 194 and 270 service that could affect more than 7,600 passengers who catch the bus every weekday, and between 2,000 and 4,000 people on the weekend.

Laura, who only uses public transit to get around, said desperate times call for desperate measures.

"It will just make us maybe go back and get a driver's license, and we're too old for that," she said.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said, however, passengers have nothing to worry about.

"It is highly unlikely that anyone will be left in a lurch. We have Metro and Foothill Transit discussing whether it might be more efficient for Foothill Transit to manage these three lines rather than Metro," said Paul Gonzalez, a Metro spokesperson.

The goal of both agencies is to limit overlapping in the areas. A final decision on the changes, if any, is expected by the middle of the year.