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Is Today the Day to Tap Your TAP?
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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