LA Swift fights for renewal

The LA Swift bus service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is in danger of being cut from the state’s budget in part because of a misunderstanding of the service’s cost, a spokeswoman says. A line item in the current budget, which the House appropriations committee will review today, shows that renewing the service for a year will cost $6.2 million. But LA Swift says that number reflects the potential cost of expanding the service to include the Northshore. The actual cost to continue the Baton Rouge to New Orleans service is $2.6 million; half of that could be paid for by the federal government, with riders paying about a quarter through fares. The actual cost to the state would be closer to $700,000, LA Swift says. They say over 1,000 people a month use the service, often to commute to work, school or medical appointments. The current contract runs through June 30.