All-door boarding to start on Metro Rapid 754 on June 24

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All-door boarding allows customers to board a bus at any door with their TAP cards. The program is expanding to include Metro Rapid 754 starting Sunday, June 24.

How does all-door boarding work?

  • Buy and load a TAP card.
  • Enter through any door.
  • Tap your card at the validator inside the bus.

Look for these decals on buses in order to board at any door:

If you’re paying with cash, you’ll need to board at the front of the bus to purchase and load a TAP card. A valid TAP card is required to ride on all-door boarding lines. Make the ride smoother by having a TAP card ready. TAP cards can be purchased and reloaded:

  • At the front of the bus
  • Online at taptogo.net
  • By calling 866.TAPTOGO
  • At over 400 TAP vendor locations
  • At TAP vending machines, located at Metro Rail, Metro Silver Line and Metro Orange Line stations

All-door boarding allows for faster boarding, shorter stops and increased reliability. The program will be expanding to include Metro Rapid 720 on October 14, 2018.

 

Categories: Transportation News

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21 replies ›

  1. Today, Friday June 22 I rode the 754 for the first time. All door boarding will be a boon for this line.
    But it will be hellacious for the first few weeks as everyone needs to get and use TAP cards.
    Many of the rider today were unaware of this future need.
    And the bus I rode did not have rear door validators.

  2. All-door boarding is obviously great news, but here’s a suggestion for a fare enforcement mechanism: have a deputy ride in the rear of the bus near the door and watch the validator in the back. Basically all-door boarding has created a situation where there is virtually no consequence if people fail to tap or tap with an invalid card. I see this every day – people just getting on with unloaded tap cards, which shows intent to evade the fare (no argument that they forgot to tap or missed the validator, etc.). If you want to ride for free, just get on through the rear door. This creates a perception that the rules are not being enforced which results in even less people paying fares.

    This could be easily accomplished with a deputy riding inconspicuously in the back and in some high-usage stops would result in a half dozen citations being written fairly quickly. Riders would feel safer that there is an officer onboard, and people who don’t pay need to at a minimum be inconvenienced by pulling them off the bus.

  3. Yeah, infrequent riders might not “need” a TAP card, but consider that:
    1. a card is ONE dollar;
    2. they inconvenience everyone else when they pay with cash;
    3. mobile ticketing is on the horizon.

  4. So, is there a reason why East-West buses have TAP validators as well. Because I am assuming those things will still be useable on those routes.

  5. They need to wrap the rear door validators with something that says “board in front” when those buses are used on non-proof of payment routes. Also there needs to be something to discourage people from paying cash and expecting some sort of receipt. I see people pay cash on Silver Line like any other bus, not get a receipt, and then they will run the risk of being ticketed by fare enforcement.

  6. What about installing vendor machine at every 754/720 stops? I think this is great to increase the accessibility of tap card vendor machine throughout the county. I hope Metro is looking forward to expanding all door boarding program to all Rapid routes (7XX) soon.

    • Hi,

      Unfortunately the TVMs are very costly and require a certain amount of space and infrastructure in order to operate, so they can’t be located at bus stops. The best way to get a TAP card if you don’t live near a rail station is to buy one on the bus, at a Customer Center or online at taptogo.net.

      Anna Chen
      Writer, The Source

    • Is there any bus line that does not connect somewhere to where there is a TVM for anyone to buy a card? Buy a few, keep them at home. $1 each. Lots of retail outlets have them. If you really can’t be bothered, you can order them online and reload them online. This “there’s no TVM” argument is getting really old by now.

  7. I’ve been seeing the TAP readers on the 704 for the past three months. The drivers have no idea what’s going on, and I’m confused too — if they’re only gonna be on the 754 this June, does that mean the RAPID buses I’ve seen with the TAP readers on other lines will all be transferred to only serve the 754? That doesn’t make sense and isn’t how the buses are used now, right? If the buses move between lines anyways (which is what Metro apparently wants so bad it’s willing to sacrifice center-running BRT) — why not, to my normal gripe, just do TAP readers in all RAPID buses at once?

  9. This is a great idea. One small thing, the Spanish on the placards is incorrect :\ Should read “todas LAS puertas” or “por ambas puertas”!

  10. Just like Europe! Now make the rear doors double the width they are now and watch how fast the bus can travel. Put TAP card vending machines at the stops on the sides of buildings.

    • Hi Richard,

      Cash may be used to purchase a TAP card and/or load fare, but won’t be accepted directly as fare.

      Anna Chen
      Writer, The Source

      • “If you’re paying with cash, you’ll need to board at the front of the bus to purchase and load a TAP card. ”

        8th line of the article.

        • …yes? Not everyone may already have a TAP card, so if they have cash they’ll be able to purchase a TAP card and load it with cash upon boarding, then TAP before riding.

    • I see your point, and to an extent I actually agree (at least after experiencing public transit outside the states) but at least here in the states (or more specific, LA):

      A) People may not need a TAP card at all. No seriously, I know people who only use transit once or twice a year when their car needs an All-day trip to the shop, or for an evening out, game, concert, etc. Are we seriously going to obligate those people to buy a TAP card just to catch one bus ride a year for a few miles??

      B) I know this blog hates it whenever this subject is brought up but, IMHO TAP is somewhat useless without Distance Based fares (there, I said it). Not sure if this is simply a one decade long Beta test that will eventually take us there but besides transfers, I’ve yet to see any real benefit in having a TAP card. Hell I don’t think I can even use the stored value in San Diego even though if I’m not mistaken, the same exact tech is used by both agencies. So I guess TL:DR: TAP not being used to its full potential may be another issue.

      But I’m glad that at least it’s going somewhere at the moment.

      • TAP cards are useless?

        You like paying for each additional trip rather than getting free transfers?
        You like making everyone on the bus wait for you to fiddle through your cash to get it accepted by the machine?