Attentive readers may recall that Metro tested all-door boarding last summer on the 720 Rapid Bus on Wilshire Boulevard. The pilot program went well: overall, boarding was quicker and Metro was able to collect a lot of data to help figure out where all-door boarding may work best.
As a result, Metro is going to begin testing all-door boarding on the Silver Line beginning Sunday, June 26. For riders, it’s pretty simple — if you have a TAP card already loaded with the proper fare, board at either the front or rear door and tap your card on the validator (we have added one to the rear door area). If you have a TAP card and need to purchase fare, get a transfer or you’re a wheelchair user, use the front door.
Why test all door boarding on the Silver Line? Operationally, it is easier to determine efficiencies and cost savings on a “special” line — i.e. a line that basically operates separate from the others, as the Silver Line does (much of its route is in the ExpressLanes on the 10 and 110 freeways).
One other note: Metrolink ticket holders must board through the front door in order to pay the 75-cent upcharge. Don’t try to pay the upcharge with Stored Value at the rear door, you’ll be charged $2.50 — more than you need to pay.
Categories: Policy & Funding, Projects
Ok so let’s look at the major flaws in this yet another really poorly designed metro project.
First you need to have tap vending machines at every silverline stop, currently there are none. So what happens if a person wants to ride the bus and doesn’t have a tap card.
Second the wilshire project was a disaster I know I rode it quite a few times drivers and passenger’s both disliked it. So please stop lying to the customers
Third if everybody has to buy a tap card to ride the line then this is yet another hidden fare increase $2.50 fare for the silverline and another $1.00 for the tap card.
This will just be another disaster by the most mismanaged transit authority in the usa
[…] Silver Line All-Door Boarding Begins Sunday June 26 (The Source) […]
“Don’t try to pay the upcharge with Stored Value at the rear door, you’ll be charged $2.50 — more than you need to pay.” Does this mean even if I have an EZ Pass whithout zone and stored value on my tap card, I am still going to be charged full fare of Silver Line or does this mean the validator at the rear door of Silver Line is not going to accept my EZ Pass without zone?
Don’t try to pay the upcharge with Stored Value at the rear door, you’ll be charged $2.50 — more than you need to pay. Does this mean even if I have an EZ Pass whithout zone and stored value on my tap card, I am still going to be charged full fare of Silver Line or doesn’t the validator at the rear door of Silver Line is not going to accept my EZ Pass without zone?
The proper way to handle the Metrolink tickets and passes is to program the entire validator system to read those tap cards. Once a Metrolink fare media is detected, the validator only charge the surcharge fare, not the full fare.
All the vending machines should detect the Metrolink fare so that the passengers can add the surcharge to Metrolink tap card in order to save time and keep the buses moving.
Come Sunday, all the Metrolink passengers will have a big surprise when they take the Silver Line to the beach and find themselves been charged with the full fare at the rear door. If Metro cannot get its validator programming done by Friday. It should place recorded messages inside the Metrolink trains to remind the Silver Line riders to use the front door and pay the surcharge in cash.
If Metro does not take these proactive steps, the commute on Sunday and onward will be very messy.
Except Metrolink tickets with the TAP chip in them cannot have value loaded to them, can they?
Let me answer my question: I tried and no you cannot load funds onto a paper Metrolink Ticket (or Weekly Pass or Monthly Pass) with a TAP chip inside. So those who transfer to the Silver Line at Cal State LA are SOL unless we carry a separate TAP card which we then have to alert the driver to only take 75 cents off?
If I have a TAP card with a 30-day pass already on it, I presume I will need to board through the front doors to tap my card and pay the 75-cent upcharge?
You ill have to board at front if you don’t have stored value on your card. You can load stored value on a TAP card with a 30 day pass at any TVM at the Silver Line stations, Metro Rail stations or online.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
Steve,
Is this really true, that I cannot board a bus on the street (where there are no TVMs) or in San Pedro (where there are no TVMs) without a TAP card??
Huh?!?
And if I want to pay the 75 cent up charge for the Silver Line, I have to have those funds on a TAP card???
The validator machines (BMVs) know to look for a pass or transfer first before they proceed to deduct an upcharge or a full fare. If a BMV recognizes your pass as valid, it will only deduct the $0.75. Only if it cannot find a valid pass or transfer will it deduct full fare. It will display what it has done on its screen. Customers can look at the screen for verification.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
Thanks Steve for addressing the Metrolink ticket holders issue. Really appreciate that.
How long will this test last??? And about the ticket vending machines… Where will they be installed. problem with the tap validators is that they will only be installed on the 45 ft silver liners . However, what about when a regular bus operates on the silver line????