Ruling that ended court role in MTA is appealed

The Bus Riders Union has appealed a federal judge’s ruling that ended a decade of court supervision over Los Angeles County’s massive public transit system.

In October, U.S. District Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. denied the advocacy group’s request to extend his jurisdiction over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Lawyers for the organization had argued that the MTA failed to adequately reduce overcrowding on its busiest buses.

But Hatter found that the consent decree, which required the agency to spend $1 billion to buy buses, add service and maintain low fares, had “served its purpose.”