City offers 10 and 20 ride bus passes for travelers

Long Beach bus riders can now pay for their trips beforehand, rather than carrying $2.25 in change for each ride.

New bus passes went on sale by the City of Long Beach Department of Transportation last Monday, Oct. 3. The passes can be purchased at the clerk’s office in City Hall.

People have the option of buying a 10-ride pass or 20-ride pass for use on any of the city buses. Passes will cost buyers $22.50 for ten rides, with seniors, students and those with disabilities able to buy them for $10. For 20 rides, it would cost $45, or $20 for seniors, students and those with disabilities.

“Historically, all Long Beach has been able to do is accept cash,” City Spokesman John McNally said. “Not all of our residents want to be carrying around cash all the time. As a convenience, we decided we can start selling these passes.”

The city has been wanting to implement OMNY passes for their transportation, much like the ones in Manhattan, most notably in the subway stations. The OMNY system is a form of contactless payment, where someone can use an OMNY card, or a credit card, and just tap to pay. The city has been waiting for these passes.

People can still pay each time they go for a ride, but the passes offer another option.

“This has been discussed for a while,” McNally said. “And the city manager authorized it to go.”