A volunteer coalition of Metro riders called Enforce the Fares says the biggest safety problem on L.A.’s buses and trains isn’t a shortage of security officers, it’s that almost no one checks whether you paid. Tom Carroll. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times) July 24, 2026 5:19 PM PT

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Metro, the agency that runs most buses and light rail in L.A. County, says it’s tackling fare evasion in a different way. Both sides want a safer system. The question is which approach actually works.

Tom Carroll is a content creator for the Los Angeles Times. Before joining The Times in 2022, he created, produced and hosted the web series “Tom Explores Los Angeles.” He has produced stories for NPR and Gimlet. A fourth-generation Southern Californian, he is a graduate of Occidental College and the University of Southern California.