If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily morning newsletter, How To LA. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news.Since he doesn’t have a car, the 65-year-old relies on buses to get to doctor appointments and visit friends and loved ones.
“It's almost discrimination against people without a cell phone or a smartphone…public transportation was supposed to be for the people and to be readily available and easy to use,” Miller said. “But if you have a sign that only has QR codes, that's not really accessible to everyone.”About 93% of people who live in the O.C. own a smartphone, according to census data. But even customers with smartphones have had issues riding the bus since the changes.
Because it updates bus routes four times a year, “providing paper route updates was costly and inefficient,” said OCTA spokesperson Eric Carpenter. There's also a number to text for updated information, and a customer service line to have a person guide you through the process.Text the stop and route number to 628246. You’ll receive the next three arrival times for the route at that stop. Text HELP for more information.For a free printed bus book, call 636-RIDE.
While some people may view these types of digital changes as “quick and easy,” Rodriguez said it’s important not to leave the most vulnerable community members behind. Her organization offers free digital skills classes that teach the basics, like where to put your hands on a keyboard to how to set up an email account.