A Threefold 'Thank You' to Los Angeles
Dear Los Angeles: I'm Thankful For...
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A Photo Gallery of the Things I am Grateful for This Year
Canter's & Ice Cream Sandwich Could Live in Perfect Harmony
I LOVE L.A.! My Thanksgiving Thanks
Despite being in use in some capacity for some months now, today is apparently the day Metro will "unveil" the TAP card, and "will be introduced at Union Station by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who chairs the MTA board," reports the Daily Breeze.
Although TAP cards are in circulation, today seems to be the starting point of a TAP conversion, and the widespread adoption of the electronic card that will link "every one of the public transit systems in Los Angeles County." It is unclear if smaller transit systems will be accepting TAP cards immediately, or how this will affect their own card systems, Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus' Little Blue Card.
In typical Metro fashion, the TAP situation is a bit confusing and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. What is apparent, however, is that paper passes will soon be no more: "By late January, the 400 retail outlets that sell monthly MTA passes will be selling the TAP cards exclusively. Elderly, student and other patrons who receive discount passes will be eased into the program and transitioned to TAP cards by next June."
Photo by ~db~ via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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london has been doing this for years
does this mean that they will finally be offering a pass for those of us who do not regularly use the metro? (i.e. 2 times a week) it is a freaking PITA to buy those tickets each time i board the train.
but unlike the london oyster card (which i love) this isn't something that you preload with money and it deducts $1.25 each time. All this is is a weekly or monthly pass that now a little TAP computer verifies is current.
So $17 for the weekly pass is no good for me who only rides 10 times a week. So i'm still stuck digging for change (or buying non-discount tokens).
We really need to get with the times and make this a preloaded card that slowly deducts as you ride.
Its comming Maximoo, its comming. FYI it was the other way round when the Oyster was introduced. To begin with all you could do was have a balance, no cost effective weekly/monthly passes. Which, if memory serves, caused even more of an uproar because most people used those very passes every day.
Here's hoping for a more TAP filled 2009!
been there done that I've been TAPping with UCLA since 2 years ago
I live in Culver City which is on the TAP program.
I use at present a Senior EZ Pass for Culver CityBus, Metro, etc. until such time as this is issued as a TAP card (I have been told early next year).
Recently, I have seen notices on Culver CityBus that they will accept TAP cards that are purchased only
at the Culver City Transportation Department or the Treasurer's Office at Culver City Hall, both Culver City addresses.
So the TAPcard is still having its problems in implementation.
The cool thing about the oyster card, though, is that it only deducts a maximum amount each day, and is actually cheaper (not the same price) than buying individual tickets. Plus, WAY more people in London use public transit. It's way more efficient. Also, it's a larger city.
I haven't experienced the Oyster card, but I have had the pleasure of using Tokyo's Suica and it helped make me a very avid advocate of "tap cards" in general.
The Suica was very quick and easy to use, simple and cheap to purchase, easy to recharge, able to be used anywhere and I didn't even take advantage of its more advanced features.
It would be a shame if Los Angeles flubs its attempt at a smart card, because it seems to me that it would be a natural - many different municipal operators, and a lot of novice transit riders.