Transit Access Pass

TAP - Transit Access Pass

Location	Los Angeles County, California
Launched	2007 (soft launch) 2008 (monthly passes) 2009 (day passes)
Technology	Contactless smart card by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc.
Manager	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Currency	USD
Validity	Metro Rail
	Metro Bus
	Metro Liner
	City of Santa Clarita Transit
	Culver City Bus
	Foothill Transit
Retailed	Online
	Pass Sales Locations
	Metro Customer Service Centers
Variants	Extended-Use Card
Website	http://www.taptogo.net

The Transit Access Pass (TAP) card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within Los Angeles County, California. It is administered by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and is valid on a number of different transit systems in Los Angeles County including Metro Rail, Metro Bus, Metro Liner, City of Santa Clarita Transit, Culver City Bus, and Foothill Transit. More systems are planned to be added in the future.

The card and fare collection systems are manufactured by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc. and under contract from Metro, Affiliated Computer Services administers the Unified Fare System (UFS) and central call center (866-TAPTOGO) for all agencies.^[1]

Description

The TAP is a blue, credit-card-sized contactless stored value smartcard which can hold a Metro Pass. The TAP card must be tapped on electronic readers when entering and transferring within the system in order to validate it. TAP readers are integrated in bus fareboxes and standalone readers are located just outside of the paid area of Metro Rail stations. Because Metro Rail has a mix of barrier free and faregated areas, fare inspectors check to make sure TAP users have validated their card by using a wireless handheld unit. The cards may be "recharged" in person from ticket vending machines in Metro Rail stations, at Metro Customer Service Centers or online. The card is designed to reduce the number of transactions at Customer Service Centers. The card costs $2 and is only available with a fare media product (such as a day pass or stored value). TAP cards expire approximately three years from purchase.^[2]

Currently Metro only sells monthly passes on the TAP web site, and sells monthly, weekly, and day passes at rail ticket vending machines. Stored value (cash purse) can be added onto the TAP card at rail ticket vending machines, retail locations, and and online. Non-Metro agencies may sell transfers on TAP cards, which can be read by Metro TAP readers. For non-Metro operators, TAP cards are sold at their administrative offices or customer service centers.^[3]

There are many agencies in Los Angeles which do not accept the TAP card. Transit agencies have been allowed to transition onto TAP at their own pace, and it is not a requirement for receiving Metro funding or participation in interagency transfer agreements. As a transition to full county-wide implementation of TAP, EZ transit passes are sold on TAP cards with a sticker denoting the month, for verification on non-TAP systems.

History

Prior to introduction of the TAP card, a magnetic stripe card called the Metrocard (not to be confused with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's card) was introduced in 1993 on Culver CityBus, with later expansion to Foothill Transit, Montebello Bus Lines, Norwalk Transit, and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus. The fare card only offered stored value, and was compatible with GFI Genfare fareboxes used by these systems.^[4] The program was dubbed the Universal Fare System, or UFS, for future implementation throughout Los Angeles County.^[5] Later innovations expanded the magnetic stripe technology for monthly and day passes.

TAP was initially tested by UCLA students, select businesses (A-TAP and B-TAP program) and Metro staff. In October 2007, TAP had a two-month test program limited to the first 2,000 customers. TAP was rolled out to the general public in February 2008 as a free upgrade for monthly pass customers, and on February 11, 2008, to replaced the stored value Metrocards for Culver CityBus riders.^[6] Santa Monica Big Blue Bus opted out of the Universal Fare System program entirely and in 2006 converted their existing regional Metrocards to operate only within their system.^[7] Other agencies, such as Foothill Transit and Norwalk Transit, transitioned from Metrocard to TAP in 2009.^[8]

On March 15, 2009, TAP's scope was expanded to LACMTA day passes, which are now only sold on TAP cards on buses, although paper day passes can still be purchased at rail ticket vending machines.^[9] TAP cards were issued for seniors and the disabled beginning January 2009,^[10] and all senior and disabled riders were required to obtain TAP cards by December 2010.^[11] In addition, on Foothill Transit, transfers are only provided on TAP, unless a passenger requests a paper transfer.

Currently all passes sold at Metro Customer Service Centers and most pass sales outlets are on TAP cards only. There are some paper passes still sold to corporate accounts and pass sales outlets, accounting for approximately 25% of all passes sold.^[12]

Agencies Using TAP

TAP Machine at Metro station

TAP Card

Current

• Metro Rail
• Metro Bus
• Metro Liner
• City of Santa Clarita Transit
• Culver City Bus
• Foothill Transit
• Gardena Municipal Bus Lines
• Montebello Bus Lines
• Norwalk Transit
• Orange County Transportation Authority (accepts cards for $1.50 fare credit on lines 1, 30, 38, 42, 46, 50, 60, 701, 721, 757 and 758)^[13]
• Antelope Valley Transit Authority^[14]

Coming Soon

• LADOT DASH

Future

• Access Services

Metrolink

Metrolink had planned to subsidize the cost of TAP passes for passengers holding 10-trip or monthly passes and transferring to Los Angeles County transit agencies participating in the TAP program. When this transition is complete, transit agencies that use TAP as opposed to proof-of-payment will no longer be permitted to accept Metrolink tickets as valid fare under the EZ Transit Pass agreement. However, due to a change in Metrolink management, those plans are on hold while a dual use Metrolink and Metro TAP product is developed for monthly and 7-day pass holders. For the forseeable future, Metrolink riders will continue to pass through the fare gates without TAP cards.^[15]

References

1. ^ http://acs.e-letter.fr/9/en/articles/losangeles.htm
2. ^ http://thesource.metro.net/2011/07/14/tap-card-caveat-these-puppies-expire-after-3-years/
3. ^ http://taptogo.net/faresanddiscounts.php?hmm=fd
4. ^ http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_10-e.pdf
5. ^ http://boardarchives.metro.net/Items/2000/04_April/items3-065.pdf
6. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20080519220844/http://www.culvercity.org/bus/metrocard.asp?sec=
7. ^ http://metroriderla.com/2007/07/18/big-blue-bus-drops-the-ball-hard/
8. ^ http://00594d4.netsolhost.com/adwheel2009/entries/476/-2b99b187-0106-4aa0-bef4-5415ad97c246-.pdf
9. ^ http://metro.net/riding_metro/riders_guide/paying_fare-01.htm
10. ^ http://www.metro.net/board/Items/2009/04_April/20090416OPItem41.pdf
11. ^ http://www.metro.net/news/simple_pr/metro-converting-all-remaining-senior-and-disabled/
12. ^ http://www.metro.net/board/Items/2011/01_January/20110120OPItem13.pdf
13. ^ http://www.octa.net/other-transit.aspx
14. ^ http://www.avta.com/just_tap.htm
15. ^ http://www.metro.net/board/Items/2011/05_May/20110519EMACItem14.pdf

External links

• Official TAP website