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LA Metro wants your opinion on possible changes to TAP cards
FILE: TAP cards can be purchased from Metro vending machines.
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Oran Viriyincy via Flickr Creative Commons
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LA Metro wants your opinion on possible changes to TAP cards
Los Angeles County's transit agency wants to hear from the public about some proposed changes to how people pay to ride buses and trains.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has suggested three changes to the fare system, all intended to improve transit performance by making boarding and transferring faster and easier. The proposals would:
- Do away with the sale of Metro day passes on board buses and instead offer the more popular option to add stored cash value to a TAP card, the universal transit payment card. The day pass costs the same as four regular base fares and it would still be available for purchase from TAP card vending machines, online and by phone – just not on the bus.
- Phase out the sale of Metro tokens, which can be used for a one-way fare and to transfer to some non-Metro transit. The tokens used to be discounted but not anymore. So officials hope to transition all riders to TAP cards with stored value, which can be used to cover the difference on non-Metro transfers.
- Standardize the cost of each TAP card at $2 – which means those who buy the cards at TAP vending machines and on buses will no longer get a discounted rate of $1. Metro says the discount was intended as a pilot to increase TAP card use.
Members of the public can weigh in by emailing customerrelations@metro.net or at a public hearing at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 17. It will be held at Metro Headquarters, 3rd Floor Board Room, 1 Gateway Plaza.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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