Metro officials are working to reinstate the program after the Transit Watch App reports steep increases
LA Metro’s “Tap to Exit” program launches at Union Station on February 18Credit: LA Metro
LA Metro is working to reinstate the Tap-to-Exit program that was introduced last summer. The program was designed to deter fare evasion at transit centers, but was paused due to safety concerns by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Since then, crime numbers have gone up by 116% at Union Station and 67% in North Hollywood. Metro also reported a loss of roughly $35,000 just from fares at both stations alone.
The Los Angeles Fire Department originally wanted to pause the program over safety concerns in the case of an emergency. Tap-to-exit means riders had to tap their fare cards in order to leave their destination. With this system, there were concerns over the potential bottlenecks at exits during emergencies, making it harder for passengers to exit the station efficiently.
In the first few months of the program, there was a 40% decrease in security incidents on the Metro B-Line, which runs from North Hollywood to Union Station.
Now, LA Metro is working on a proposal for the Los Angeles Fire Department to not only reinstate Tap-to-Exit, but also redesign the turnstiles and exits.