LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Riders moving through Union Station will need to TAP their card or scan a valid Metrolink fare to enter and exit the station starting Tuesday.
Metro will latch the turnstiles at the historic transportation station at both the entrances and exits to the B/D (Red and Purple) rail lines Tuesday as part of its TAP-to-Exit program.
Last week, the transit agency placed signage at Union Station and distributed brochures in English and Spanish to inform customers.
Metro ambassadors and TAP Blue Shirts will be on-site to assist passengers with loading their fares, and representatives for Metro’s LIFE — a fare reduction program — will help enroll income-qualified riders.
This “education period” will last through Feb. 25, after which security and law enforcement officers will begin issuing citations for those who do not have valid fares.
The agency began its TAP-to-Exit program at the North Hollywood B Line station in May 2024, followed by the Downtown Santa Monica E Line station in September.
Metro reported a 40% decrease in crime and other issues such as fights, drug use and graffiti along the 14 B-Line stations, according to data collected on the Transit Watch app.
There was also a 55% decrease in crimes at E Line stations, according to Metro.
Metro’s Board of Directors approved the program following high-profile violent attacks on its rail and bus systems. The program is intended to prevent unauthorized use and maintain safety.
Data collected from the law enforcement agencies that patrol Metro rail — Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Long Beach Police Department — found that 94% of people arrested on the system for violent crime did not have a TAP card or paid fare.
The program also led the agency to recoup more than 130,000 in fares from people who did not pay.
Other public transportation systems such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit, also known as BART, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the Metropolitan-Atlanta Regional Transit Authority use fare enforcement programs.
Metro expects to expand TAP-to-Exit to all end-of-line stations by the end of 2025.
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