With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Metro Is Testing Out Wearable TAP Card Wristbands
Prototype. (Photo courtesy of Metro)
()
Have you ever missed your train while feverishly fumbling through your wallet for your TAP card? Well, the days of commute-busting purse searches could soon be a thing of the past.
Metro, which operates the majority of bus and rail service in Los Angeles County, is currently testing out a prototype TAP card wristband, which would allow riders to pay their fares using the wearable device. TAP cards are the contactless smart cards that the transit agency uses for fare payment and electronic ticketing. They've been in use for about a decade and are necessary for rail and light-rail travel (bus riders can still pay with cash or coin, though we advise you bring exact change as you won't be getting any back). The wristband prototype was introduced at a Metro committee meeting on Wednesday.
Metro mtg: here's a photo of the prototype TAP wristband Metro is looking into pic.twitter.com/uX8qJXLPSg
— StreetsblogLA (@StreetsblogLA) April 19, 2017
Metro spokesman Rick Jager told LAist that the wristband prototype is in the "very early" stages of development, and that it's currently being tested out in the disability community. "Approximately 20 to 25 disabled individuals are currently actually testing them on buses and trains," Jager told LAist. "It started about a week ago." The individuals testing the wristbands will share their likes and dislikes to help further develop the product.
Support for LAist comes from
()
Photo illustration by Julia Wick/LAist (Source images courtesy of Metro)
Oberthur Technologies of America designed the prototype, and provided Metro with the samples to use for testing. Jager told LAist that it was too early in the process to estimate how much they might cost riders, and that the earliest they might be available would be winter.
Streetsblog LA reports that a plan for TAP payment via mobile phone will be presented at next month's Metro committee meeting.
[h/t: Streetsblog LA]
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
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.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
Best of LAist