Our TAP-to-Exit program is expanding to the E Line’s Downtown Santa Monica Station on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
The TAP-to-Exit program is where riders must tap their fare cards when exiting at stations. The goal is to increase fare compliance and to ensure that our system is used for legitimate travel needs by our customers.
Three things for riders to know:
- If you tapped your card and fare was deducted when you started your trip, tapping out will confirm fare was paid and open the fare gates.
- If you did not tap your card when you started your trip, your fare will be deducted when you tap out at the turnstiles.
- There will be a 7-day grace period before citations are issued to riders who do not have a valid fare.
We will have plenty of staff on site at Downtown Santa Monica to help riders purchase the correct fare and to answer any questions. There will also be staff from our Low Income Fare Is Easy (LIFE) program to help riders sign up for our reduced fare program that provides unlimited free rides for the first 90 days and then 20 free rides each month to qualified riders.
We launched TAP-to-Exit at the B Line’s North Hollywood Station in May. In the time since, we’ve seen a notable increase in the number of customers paying fare, as well as a drop in crime and other issues reported by riders via Metro’s Transit Watch app.
We surveyed customers at NoHo Station since we launched the pilot and found 91% reported feeling the station was cleaner and 86% thought it was safer.
The expansion of TAP-to-Exit is part of several public safety initiatives approved by the Metro Board of Directors at their July meeting. After TAP-to-Exit is implemented at Downtown Santa Monica Station, we’re going to expand the pilot to our other end-of-line stations. Dates for that expansion are to be determined. Please stay tuned to The Source and our social media for updates.
In addition to TAP-to-Exit, there were three other initiatives approved by the Board in July that we think will continue to improve public safety and make riding our system more comfortable:
We’re expanding our Elevator Open-Door pilot program from 21 elevators to 57.
Keeping the doors open when the elevators are not in use helps discourage illegal or unwanted activity in the elevators.
During this pilot, we’ve found that riders with strollers and bikes are having an easier time using the elevators — no more having to race closing doors. Equally important: we’ve also seen a drop in the number of times our cleaning crews are summoned to clean up big messes.
We’re going to expand our smart restroom pilot program at up to 64 stations over the next four years.
In addition to our traditional restrooms at Union Station and several other locations, we launched our pilot restroom project last fall by partnering with Throne, a start-up firm that manufactures and operates restroom units that can be accessed via a code sent to cell phones. Throne restrooms — complete with running water and lights — have seen over 75,000 uses across 10 stations so far. The feedback we’ve received has been very positive.
Lack of restrooms on our system (and other transit systems) has been a long-standing rider complaint, and traditional public restrooms have often been subject to inappropriate activity that create new issues by trying to resolve one. We’re pleased to be testing a quick-build, scalable solution that so far is offering our riders restrooms that are clean, comfortable and safe.
We’re going to pilot weapons detection systems at two rail stations starting later this year.
Although we believe very few overall riders carry illegal weapons, we don’t want any weapons on our system that could jeopardize your safety. We believe the presence of these detection units will serve as a deterrent and discourage individuals from bringing weapons onto our system.
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I really don’t understand the point of this if its not enforced by the cops who stand huddled up at the gates at the Noho station. Countless times I have witnessed the cops just let people go, even when the fare evader has NO TAP card. They don’t ticket them or even say anything. I wish I could get it on video. I asked a female cop who was standing at the fare gate if tapping was not required since people were just walking through. She then said “Are you the police?” and giggled. This is just money being wasted on cops who aren’t doing their job.
Your experiences may vary. Quite the contrary, I have actually seen arrests of a few people at NoHo station and even some ticketing
And usually if there is security, I’ve seen would be evaders just turn around.
I’ll proudly be the first to bash Metro and their incompetence but it’s clear that so some extent it’s working, if they have already collected $100K alone just from lost fares in NoHo alone, Downtown Santa Monica is probably a bigger chest waiting.
The issue is always after 8pm. At best I’ve seen 2 security guards at night just horseplaying around or simply only refusing the homeless to enter. It all comes down to the police force to actually enforce these rules.
So in turn comes the discussion of Metro creating its own PD again.
For people who use Metrolink tickets to ride Metro, how do we “tap” to exit? There’s no scanner at the fare gate.
Yes, there is. Usually the large disabled access gate and the one next to it have the scanners.
I’ve used Metrolink tickets like twice to exit so far. At this point, only very few stations with gates (if any) don’t have the scanners, but ALL subway/underground stations, all terminal and transfer point stations have the QR code scanners for Metrolink tickets.
NoHo has at least one scanner on the “paid” side of the turnstiles. Actually, I think it’s only one. It works but it is a little slow– and it’s only on the wide paddle gate, so it’s a little slow.
There is actually 2 on the Orange Line side. That’s mainly the Entrance/Exit I use, but I definitely know the local bus bay side has them as well. I think just 2 as well though.
All these scanners are slow. Unfortunately though it’s because scanning QR codes is slower overall.
This is why I have a real grudge with San Diego, they may have upgraded their NFC tech with pronto card, but instead of adapting Apple/Google Pay transit, they went with QR codes, which is anything but pronto. Why!?!?
If you are removed from the system, that means you are banned for life.
The new A line stations currently under construction: Are they being designed and built with fare gates in mind?
if you transfer from a train (i.e., Metrolink), how do you tap out?