Lynwood : Trolley-Type Buses to Roll

Two buses resembling San Francisco cable cars are scheduled to begin operating in August as the city’s first fixed-route bus system.

The City Council voted unanimously recently to award a one-year contract for $217,721 to Commuter Bus Lines of Lynwood to run the system.

The buses, which can carry up to 20 passengers each, will operate seven days a week throughout the 4.84-square mile community, said James Devore, city associate civil engineer.

Fares have not been established but will probably be 50 cents for a round trip, Devore said.

The buses, whose features include hardwood seats, brass door handles and cable-car bells, cost about $75,000 apiece. The money to purchase and operate the vehicles comes from Proposition A, the half-cent county sales tax for transit projects that took effect in 1982.

Of the Proposition A funds, about 25%, known as local return money, is divided among cities and county areas on the basis of population. The rest of the money is being used to build a light-rail transit system and help subsidize large, city-operated bus systems, such as Long Beach Transit and the Southern California Rapid Transit District.