In this video I go over how to add a TAP card bought from a ticket vending machine (TVM) to taptogo.net. This is one of the most common questions we get about TAP, and admittedly it’s not as obvious as it should be – but it is really easy.

This step-by-step video will show you the whole process, but you can also just follow the steps listed after the jump.

How to add a TAP card to TapToGo.net

1. Purchase TAP from Ticket Vending Machine (TVM)

2. Visit taptogo.net

3. Sign in with User ID and Password (or sign up as a new user if it’s your first time at the site)

4. Choose “Balance Protection” from the “Quick Links” menu

5. Follow the on-screen instructions to input your TAP card number into the system (your TAP card number is located on the lower right hand side on the back of your card)

6. Click submit and enjoy the ability to add value and track your usage online.

UPDATE: the issue has been fixed.

Looks like problems began yesterday — and the taptogo.net website is still experiencing problems. Until fixed, passes can still be purchased at https://secure.taptogo.net.

Patrons at the Union Station Red/Purple Line station last week. Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

On Wednesday, the gates will be latched at all times at the two entrances of the Red/Purple Line subway at Union Station.

Gates at the 15 other Red/Purple Line subway stations will then be latched over the course of the summer. If Metro is satisfied with operations and results on the subway, gates at some Gold, Green and Blue line stations will be latched as early as this fall.

I know there is considerable interest in gate-latching and TAP among Source readers. My sense is that many readers of The Source believe it’s about time the gates are latched while others remain skeptical the program will benefit riders or the agency’s bottom line.

Click to see larger.

One thing that’s hard to argue: Metro Rail ridership has greatly increased in recent years and that hasn’t made the current way of checking fares any easier — especially at peak hours when there are a lot of people aboard trains and exiting and entering stations.

The following Q&A is intended to answer questions that many of you have about the program, as well as help new riders navigate the changes. As always, please feel free to comment and ask questions. We’ll do our best to get answers to the most salient questions.

Why does Metro say ‘latched’ instead of ‘locked?’

Locked implies that customers may be locked out, whereas latched implies customers will be able to pass through the gates. In other words, Metro feels like “latched” is a more accurate way of saying it.

What’s the goal of the gate-latching program?

Metro hopes to create a safer customer experience by reducing fare evasion. The agency also estimates that there will be an annual increase in revenue from the subway alone of $6 million to $9 million because more people riding the system will be paying fares. More on fare evasion below.

Can I ride Metro Rail without a TAP card?

No. You must have a TAP card from Metro or a TAP-enabled paper ticket from another agency.

Do I need to TAP the gates when exiting a station?

No.

That could change in the future if Metro adopts time-based ordistance-based fares.

Where do I get a TAP card? 

They can be purchased for $1 at ticket vending machines at Metro Rail stations. TAP cards can be purchased with a day pass when boarding buses for $6 — $5 for the day pass, $1 for the card.

Monthly (30 days), weekly (7 days), day passes and the regional monthly EZ Pass can be stored on TAP cards. You can also put different amounts of cash on the card (stored value) and use that money to purchase single fares or passes. The stored value is a great way for occasional riders to avoid having to deal with ticket machines every day they ride.

TAP cards are also available at 500 stores across Los Angeles County and can be ordered online at taptogo.net.

Is Metro doing anything about the taptogo.net website, which can be difficult to use?

Yes, it is being revamped and a newly designed website is expected to debut later this year. Booyah!

What if I am transferring to Metro Rail from a bus run by another agency?

When purchasing your bus fare, please ask the bus operator for a transfer to Metro Rail. Those transfers will be on paper TAP cards that you can use to pass through latched gates.

What if I want to take Metro Rail and then transfer to a bus run by another agency?

Visit a ticket vending machine and load a Metro-to-Muni transfer onto your card. If you are transferring to a bus run by an agency that doesn’t use TAP, get a paper transfer at the ticket vending machines.

How many agencies in L.A. County are using TAP cards?

Besides Metro and Metrolink, there are currently these eight: LADOT, Montebello, Santa Clarita, Antelope Valley, Culver City, Gardena, Norwalk and Foothill Transit.

Fifteen more municipal agencies are scheduled to begin using TAP in the next year or so. These include Long Beach Transit and the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus.

How are Metrolink riders going to get through the gates?

Metrolink passengers get free transfers to Metro with the purchase of a Metrolink ticket. In order to get customers through the Metro gates, Metrolink has developed a paper TAP card with a TAP chip inside. The new tickets are available from Metrolink ticket machines.

Please see this recent Source post about the proper way to hold the ticket to get through the gates.

So what’s the big picture here?

Nearly every large transit carrier in Los Angeles County will soon use TAP cards. That means those who use transit across the county can store all their fares on a single reloadable fare card.

Are there other advantages to TAP?

Yes. If you register your card online at taptogo.net it can easily be replaced if lost or stolen.

If all these carriers will soon be on TAP, will there soon be a single regional fare system?

There is nothing imminent and that’s likely a ways off. But TAP cards make it much easier for various agencies to share similar fare structures should they ever choose to do so.

What is the rate of fare evasion on Metro?

There is no firm or definitive number to cite. There have been a variety of estimates over the years but the emphasis should be on the word “estimates.”

Gate-latching tests over the past year have provided Metro with some interesting data. Specifically, when gates were latched at three subway stations, the sale of one-way fares, stored value and passes rose significantly from ticket vending machines while free entries through the latched gates declined (free entries are people who didn’t tap). This Source post includes some charts from the testing.

The Gate Help Phone at Union Station’s subway station. The phone is located on a concrete column just a few feet before the entrance to the gates. Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

What if I have a TAP card and the gates won’t let me pass through?

Gates can be remotely unlatched by Metro; all gates can be observed via closed-circuit television at Metro’s Rail Operations Center.

If you can’t get through a gate, there are Gate-Help Phones located near the turnstiles. Each phone is hands-free and also has a video camera and TAP pad to assist Metro in identifying the problem.

When you come close to a Gate Help Phone, watch for a red light that notifies Metro employees you are there. When the amber light comes on, the Metro employee can see and speak to you via the phone.

What if there is a fire, earthquake or other emergency?

In the event of loss of power, the gates are programmed to automatically free-spin and let everyone through without having to tap.

How will those with disabilities get through the gates?

There is a wheelchair accessible gate and elevator at every station where gates will be latched. If the gate won’t open or you can’t tap your card, please use the Gate Help Phones.

What about those with bikes or strollers?

Please use the wheelchair accessible gate, which is wider and provides more room to get through.

Why is Metro latching the gates?

The Metro system was designed to be a hybrid system with both barrier-free and latched stations. As the Metro Rail system has grown, along with ridership, there has been an increased interest by the Metro Board in latching gates.

But Metro couldn’t latch gates as long as paper tickets were still in use — the electronic gates only recognize TAP cards.

It took a long time to transition all the types of paper tickets to TAP cards. Now that it has happened, the gates can be latched.

How many stations will eventually be latched?

Forty-one of the existing 81 stations will be latched; here’s the list for the subway stations. Many of the light rail stations that won’t be latched lack sufficient room for turnstiles without taking needed space from pedestrians.

Even though not all the gates will be latched, civilian fare inspectors and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department deputies will patrol stations where there are no gates and randomly check fares.

Why has it taken so long to get to this point?

The TAP system has the most regional partners and most fare products of smart card systems in use in the U.S., according to Metro officials. It’s a very complex system and it took time for other agencies in Los Angeles County to adopt the system. While there were definitely some bumps in the road, testing has gone well. There are also some 21 million transactions on TAP monthly, a sign that many people are using the cards.

It’s not exactly a secret that technology moves quick these days. The next challenge for Metro will be working with all of its transit partners to explore emerging technologies and select the best ones that will ensure seamless travel for all our customers.

How much have the gates cost Metro?

Metro is leasing the gates from Cubic Corporation for about $46 million for 10 years — with six years remaining on the lease. That figure includes the cost of handheld TAP card readers for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, software, computer servers for Metro, gating equipment and installation of the gates, among other items.

Since the inception of the TAP program in 2002, the Metro Board has authorized expenditures of $255.3 million with actual contract costs totaling $222.2 million. The TAP program has overall involved substantial contracts with five contractors and consultants: Cubic, ACS/Xerox, Booz Allen and Hamilton, CH2MHill and Systra.

Photos: Steve Hymon/Metro

It has been a long time coming: The gates are now latched full-time at both entrances to the Red/Purple Line at Union Station. In order to get through the gates, all patrons need to have a TAP card — either the plastic kind or the paper tickets that are TAP enabled.

Here’s a post that explains everything.

In order to help get the word out, Metro held a news conference on the subway’s mezzanine this morning — and there was considerable media interest.

All the speakers — Metro Board Chair Mike Antonovich, Metrolink Board Chair Patrick Morris and Metro Board Members Zev Yaroslavsky, Richard Katz and Antonio Villaraigosa — hammered a similar theme that all patrons should pay to ride. “Gate latching will end the freeloading,” Antonovich said.

Yaroslavsky called it a fair and responsible way to run a transit system. He added that increased revenues from fares will be pumped right back into an expanding system for those who depend on transit and those want to use transit as an alternative to sitting in traffic.

Villaraigosa reminded everyone that this was an effort many moons in the making and said the expansion of TAP to other transit agencies will help build the regional transit system the area deserves.

— posted for Steve Hymon, who is stuck in a meeting

Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the Library’s Transportation Headlines online newspaper, which you can also access via email subscription (visit the newspaper site) or RSS feed.

New York MTA ponders transit for next generation (New York Times) 

Dirty subway cars covered head to toe in graffiti are ancient history — something that many transit-oriented young adults and the soon-to-be adults behind them literally never saw. And the MTA is finding that this very tech savvy generation also has very high expectations for transit. BTW, if you grew up in Ohio in the 1970s, here’s what my generation knew about transit in New York:

The TAP card, discouraging mass transit one card at a time (CityWatch LA)

Writer Matthew Hetz’ unhappy experiences using TAP — in particular the TAP website. For what it’s worth, the website is supposed to be getting a much-needed overhaul soon.

PUC outlines rules for ride-sharing firms (San Francisco Chronicle) 

The key graph:

The commission proposed rules that would force companies like Lyft, Uber and SideCar to obtain state permits to operate legally. And they would have to carry insurance coverage that exceeds what’s now required of limousines, establish driver training and criminal background checks, and have zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policies.

 

The ride-sharing firms have provoked the ire of the taxi and limo industry that don’t want people going online and finding rides in private vehicles for obvious reasons.

Op/Ed: Lessons from Minneapolis for bike planning in Los Angeles (L.A. Streetsblog)

I really like this paragraph in this very smart article written by James Rojas:

While most bike advocates in L.A. squabble over the green paint on Spring Street or getting a bike lane on Colorado or Figueroa the real challenge to improve the biking experience – attracting potential older cyclists – is never addressed.  We should not only be discussing the quantity but quality of the bike infrastructure.

BMW shows off its new electric car (Wired)

Wired calls the $41,350 price tag “reasonable.” For a few thousand clams more, motorists can get a small gasoline-powered motor to extend the driving range to about 150 miles. I predict the car will find a home in LaLa Land when it debuts next spring although it’s also worth noting that a Honda Insight , the most efficient gas-powered car, costs about half as much and gets a 42 miles per gallon. Most interesting to me is whether electric BMW owners are similar to some gas-powered BMW owners and pretend as if they drive under an entirely separate set of driving laws that always gives BMWers the right-of-way. #LoveMyOldSubaru

Medallion 2.0: four new residential towers for downtown L.A.? (DTLA Rising With Brigham Yen) 

A developer is proposing four 13-story towers with up to 400 residential units at the dreary corner of 3rd & Main in Los Angeles. There would also be a new parking garage with retail on the floor level — developers usually try to avoid building expensive underground parking — and a sky bridge linking the 10th floor of the buildings. My three cents: Hopefully the project and its garage will reduce the surface parking lot footprint in downtown, which suffers from way too many surface parking lots. If the project comes to pass, it will be within an easy walk of two future Regional Connector stations at 2nd/Broadway and Little Tokyo.

Matthew Hetz published an article at CityWatch today with the headline “The TAP card, discouraging mass transit one card at a time.” The article listed several issues that Mr. Hetz has had with TAP.

Here is Metro’s response to Mr. Hetz:

Dear Mr. Hetz:

Thank you for taking the time to evaluate the TAP system.  Here are answers to your concerns.

Expiring Cards

For two plus years there have been signs on buses and trains, web ads on metro.net, as well as 174,000 brochures distributed on the system to alert passengers to check their expiration of their TAP cards. Originally, TAP cards were designed to be good for three years, and  there are still three-year cards out there for sale.  With improved security we have now opened up the expiration period to ten years so the 3-year cards will eventually be sold and phased out.   TAP card expiration can be checked at a TAP Vending Machine, at one of our 500+ vendor locations or a bus fare box.   The expiration also displays on the screen when a TAP card is tapped on a gate, station validator or on your web account.

Improving the Website

The website is one of our top-ten high-priority projects.  There is definitely need for improvement.  Something easy to use like Amazon, is our goal.  In the interim we will also be making minor improvements where we can.

TAP not available at my Ralphs

Not all Ralphs sell TAP however over 500 vendors as well as four Metro Customer Centers in LA County sell TAP.   Vendors are listed by zip code at TAPTOGO.net and at Metro.net.  TAP has the largest vendor network in the country.

Much more after the jump!

TAP Vending Machines

There is improved signage on TAP Vending Machines and nearby which provide step by step instructions with pictures on how to purchase a TAP card and fare.  Metro has many fare options:  stored value, 1-day pass, 1-ride, 7-day pass, 30-day pass, senior/disabled 1-ride off peak and peak.  All are available at the TVM.  Unfortunately, with many options does come some complexity.  We will be introducing new TVM screens in late summer or early fall that are more intuitive and helpful to the first time user.

Delay in Balance Protection Card Registration

We aware of this problem.  Our customers purchase about 100,000 cards each month.  This volume may cause delays at times.  Occasionally, cards purchased at TAP Vending Machines can take up to a week for the TAP Service Center to input the card numbers into the system.  We are working with to improve service.

Mr. Hetz, I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your concerns in more detail and to hear your suggestions on how we can improve the website and our service.  I would also would like to show you our redesign of the TVM screens.  Please let me know when you are available after the 19th of August.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

David Sutton, Deputy Executive Officer, TAP

Have a transportation-related article you think should be included in headlines? Drop me an email! And don’t forget, Metro is on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Pick your social media poison!

ART OF TRANSIT: From our Instagram feed.

Taking the train to LAX — it’s a connection we can’t afford to miss: Eric Garcetti and Mike Bonin (Daily News)

In this op-ed, Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti and Councilman Bonin — both members of the Metro Board of Directors — reiterate what both have been saying publicly in recent months. Excerpt:

On the local front, Metro and LAX have been working together. In October, we met with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in Washington, D.C. He and other key transportation officials understand and agree that connecting LAX to our rail system must happen.

They are watching us. They are eager to help. And that’s the reason we can’t squander the opportunity to act now.

One of the myths that we both despise about Los Angeles is that we are beholden to traffic and that we can’t build big things. Or that we can’t do them right, symbolized by the Green Line veering south of the airport.

This project is a chance to shatter that myth, move Los Angeles into the future, and to build a transit system that connects our region to the rest of the world.

As the op-ed states, Metro is currently studying six options to connect LAX to the Crenshaw/LAX Line via either light rail, a people mover or a combination of the two. Garcetti and Bonin also say that one promising alternative involves building a rail spur from the Crenshaw/LAX Line to a new transportation facility where passengers could check into flights and transfer to the people mover.

The Airport Metro Connector project has some Measure R funding but will need more to build any of the more expensive options. In related news, the Metro Board last week approved a Memorandum of Understanding between Metro and Los Angeles World Airports for changes to the Crenshaw/LAX Line’s Aviation/Century project that could help improve connections to future airport facilities such as a consolidated rental car facility or a people mover:

And here is the project homepage on metro.net.

Whoa! A sea change in Metro’s TAP system (CityWatch LA)

I should have posted this in late November when it was first published. The article by Matthew Hetz is a follow-up to an earlier piece in which he was critical of the TAP system — in particular the taptogo website and difficulties he encountered both purchasing a new card and adding stored value to an existing one.

But things have started to change, Matthew writes. Excerpt:

After that article was published I was very surprised that the article remained in transit cyberspace terra firma, and was read by an expanding readership. I was even more surprised when David Sutton, Deputy Executive Officer, TAP, Metro, contacted me with a list of changes he implemented on the TAP system, and he invited me, and other transit writers and bloggers, for a meeting at Metro Headquarters to discuss TAP. This was a sea change in Metro’s relationship to its riders. However, until the meetings, I was very skeptical Metro would listen or accomplish any meaningful changes.

Since then I have attended three meetings with David Sutton, and other Metro executives and managers who have been gracious and understanding in the frustrations I and others face with the current TAP system. These frustrations are shared by Metro itself. The current management, from what I understand, did not implement the TAP system, but are left is the collateral damage. Their frustrations seem evident and true. They want a system which assists transit riders, and makes their jobs less stressful in dealing with the frustrations of transit riders.

[snip]

Sutton and the managers in the meetings at Metro headquarters presented their prototypes for changes to the TAP vending machines and their ideas for a modern, functioning website. As is the case with governmental agencies, things move slowly. Metro must wait for the contract to expire before moving forward with a new website, and they must follow governmental rules and regulations in calling for bids, the submitting bids, the reviews, and then awarding the new contract. This is time consuming.

While pleased with some of the changes, Matthew says Metro is not yet completely out of the woods when it comes to TAP cards and taptogo.net. Fair enough. He also says he will be writing about some other issues he has with the system and how it could be more user-friendly. Also fair enough. Easier = Better = More Riders.

Is TriMet trying to boost revenue by pushing low-income Portland riders away from unintended round trips? (Oregonian) 

With fare restructuring on the horizon for Metro, this is an important — albeit wonky — read. The issue: the debate over whether Portland TriMet’s current fare system allows round-trips or not on a single fare.

Portland currently charges a fare of $2.50 that allows riders to use their bus and light rail system for two hours. Some people have been using that time to make round trips, but lately the agency has been saying the fare only allows transfers on a trip to a single destination. That means riders trying to make round-trips have to instead buy a $5 day pass.

The TriMet Board is about to consider a change in policy that would extend fares to cover transfers beyond two hours. It sounds like there’s resistance, given budget problems. Over at the Human Transit blog, Jarrett Walker says that extending the time would be a bad idea because it would benefit only some riders and deny the system the revenue it needs to restore good service for everyone.

My year without a car (Salon) 

Wayne Scott made a New Year’s resolution coming into 2013: to retire his car and bike everywhere. And despite an ambivalence about biking, he has thus far held true to his resolution. Yes, it helps that he lives and works in Portland, one of the nation’s largest bike-friendly cities. But there’s also the little matter of conquering six months of often cold rain and a job that requires a fair amount of public speaking in dry clothes.

Heads up, Apple product users: if you’ve recently updated your operating system, your Safari browser may no longer be able to run TAPtogo.net‘s secure log in system.

You can still view TAPtogo.net, but when you try to log in to your account, you may encounter this page.

This goes for Safari on both OS and iOS.

While Metro’s TAP team works on this issue, we suggest you download the free Google Chrome browser as a workaround. Our apologies for this inconvenience, and we’ll let you know when you can return to checking your TAP card balances on Safari.

The TAP network continues to grow as Long Beach Transit today becomes the latest agency to join as a fully TAP-enabled bus fleet.

Long Beach Transit riders now have the choice to pay their fare with TAP cards instead of paper passes or cash. A rider simply taps the card against a TAP mobile validator while boarding, listens for the beep and watches for the green screen that shows that the card is valid.

Riders can purchase Long Beach regular, senior/disabled, student, stored value or EZ transit passes at taptogo.net, at the Transit & Visitor Information Center in downtown Long Beach and at select TAP pass sales outlets. Here is the announcement on Long Beach Transit’s website.

Stored value can be purchased at any Metro Rail station TAP vending machine. Fourteen addition transit agencies are set to join TAP this year including the city bus fleets in Glendale, Pasadena and Santa Monica.

Current TAP partners include Access Services, Antelope Valley, Culver City, Foothill, Gardena, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Metro, Montebello, Norwalk, Santa Clarita and Torrance. Metrolink has its own TAP enabled tickets.

With each addition to the TAP network, we get closer to the goal of a seamless, regional transportation network where passengers can transfer easily without digging into their pockets for change when boarding. 

This is something that riders may find convenient: it’s now possible to load a 30-day regular monthly Metro pass on a TAP card via text message. If buying a pass by text message, passes load immediately on cards without the one- to two-day delay when passes are bought on taptogo.net.

TAP-TO-GO is a six-month trial program that is beginning this week and will run through Dec. 1. There are two important caveats: at this time, only regular monthly passes are available and you need to use a new, special TAP card from the program to participate. There is no additional cost for the card.

The program is being run by Metro and its contractor mobileAxept. Reminder: Monthly passes are still available at TAP Vending Machines at all Metro Rail and Metro Orange Line stations, Metro Customer Centers and El Monte Station.

How to sign up 

1) Text TAPSIGNUP to 28950  or visit taptogo.net to sign up online.

2) If texting, mobileAxept will reply with a link to sign up.

3) Enter your name, mailing address and email address. Participants will be directed to the BlueFin-hosted secure payment site to submit credit/debit card information. Credit/debit cards will not be charged until you receive your card in the mail and load your first pass.

4) Once your information has been validated, mobileAxept will send a text confirming participant has successfully joined the TAP-TO-GO pilot program. 

5) Participants receive a special TAP card in the mail within seven to 10 business days, with instructions on how load your first Metro 30-DayPass. Again, you need to use this new card — it’s not possible to sign up using an existing TAP card.

How to reload

•Text TAP30DAY to 28950 to reload your Metro 30-Day Pass. You will receive a reply text message confirming your payment has been received and your card is loaded.

•When it’s time to reload your Metro 30-Day Pass, you will receive a reminder text to reload three days prior to expiration, and if necessary, one day prior to its expiration.

•Avoid paying single ride fares — currently $1.50 rising to $1.75 as early as September — by purchasing your pass before your Metro 30-Day Pass expires.

An FAQ on the TAP-TO-GO program is after the jump.

What is TAP-TO-GO?

TAP-TO-GO is a new 6 month pilot service provided by Metro that allows TAP card holders to purchase Metro 30-Day Passes via text message.

How do I get information about TAP-TO-GO?

Text TAPINFO to the number 28950 and you will be sent a link to access more information, including frequently asked questions and how to sign up.

What are the benefits of TAP-TO-GO?

You will have the added convenience of reloading a Metro 30-Day Pass via text message to your TAP card anytime, anywhere. Your pass will be loaded to your card immediately, so there’s no wait time.

How does it work?

First, text TAPSIGNUP to the number 28950 to receive a link to sign up on your computer or phone. Once your registration is completed, a special TAP-TO-GO card will be mailed to your address in 7-10 business days with instructions on how to load your card via text message.

What passes can I load on my TAP-TO-GO card?

During this pilot, only the Metro 30-Day Pass is available for reload via text message. You may not load other passes or Stored Value on this card.

How do I load and/or reload my pass?

To load and reload your Metro 30-Day Pass, simply text TAP30DAY to 28950. You will receive a confirmation text message thanking you for your purchase. Your pass will be loaded immediately.

Is TAP30DAY case sensitive?

No. You do not have to enter TAP30DAY in all caps. For example, you can enter tap30day or Tap30Day as well.

Are Reduced Fares offered in this pilot?

Reduced Fares are not offered in this pilot.

When does the TAP-TO-GO pilot begin?

TAP-TO-GO will begin June 2, 2014 and end December 1, 2014.

How soon after I reload my Metro 30-Day Pass will it be available on my TAP card?

Once you text TAP30DAY to 28950 and receive confirmation that your credit card has been charged, your pass will be available immediately.

What if I decide to stop using TAP-TO-GO?

To unsubscribe, text STOP to the number 28950 and you will be unregistered for TAP-TO-GO. Once you text STOP, your 30-Day Pass will work until its expiration and will then be deactivated.

What happens if I text STOP accidentally?

If you text STOP accidentally, text HELP to 28950 and you will receive a toll free number to call for assistance. Or you can call mobileAxept directly at 888.500.1997. Once you text STOP your card will be deactivated and you will need to sign up again.

What happens if I need support once I start a transaction?

For technical support, text HELP to the number 28950 and you will be sent a toll free number to call. Or you can call mobileAxept for technical assistance directly at 888.500.1997. For questions regarding TAP, call 866.TAPTOGO.

How much does TAP-TO-GO cost?

Participating in the pilot program is free. The only cost you will incur is the for the Metro 30-Day Pass and your normal text messaging rates.

What if I already have a TAP card?

To participate in TAP-TO-GO, you must use the TAP-TO-GO card that is mailed to you.

Once I purchase a pass, how long before I get a receipt?

Following your text to reload, you will immediately receive a confirmation text that your transaction is complete. If you do not get a receipt, please call mobileAxept directly at 888.500.1997.

Will my personal information and credit/debit card information be secure?

Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant servers protect your personal and financial information used in the registration process. All your information will be secure and if a breach occurs, you will be notified in compliance with California State laws.

Will my personal information be shared or sold?

Your personal information during the sign up process will not be shared or sold.

What if my transaction is declined?

If your transaction is declined, call mobileAxept for technical assistance directly at 888.500.1997.

Will anything be charged to my phone bill?

Your phone bill will only reflect for your normal text messaging rates. Your monthly pass will be deducted from your registered credit/debit card.

What do I do if my billing/card information changes?

To update any of your information, including billing information, phone number, etc., call mobileAxept at 888.500.1997.

How will I know when my pass is going to expire?

A text message alert will be sent to your cell phone 3 days prior to your pass expiration date reminding you to text TAP30DAY to reload. When applicable, you will receive a 2nd reminder 1 day prior to the expiration date.

What happens if I do not load a pass before my previous pass expires?

For each ride between the expiration of your pass and the purchase of a new pass you will be charged the $1.50 Single Ride Fare rate to the credit or debit card provided during the sign up process.

What happens if my card is lost or stolen?

If your card is lost or stolen call 866.TAPTOGO so that a replacement card can be mailed to you. Temporary passes or TAP cards are not available during the pilot program.

-Technical Support: 888.500.1997

-Customer Service: 866.TAPTOGO

Some good news: TAP cards can now be used on the Pasadena ARTS bus. This is the twelfth transit agency to join TAP with more on the way soon.

A few details:

• The ARTS bus will continue to accept cash fares.
• Board a Pasadena ARTS bus with TAP Stored Value or an EZ transit pass, which can be purchased at one of nearly 400 TAP sales outlets, at taptogo.net or by calling 866.TAPTOGO.
• Other agencies that accept TAP include:  Antelope Valley Transit Authority, Culver City, Foothill, Gardena, Long Beach, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Montebello, Norwalk, Santa Clarita, and Torrance Transit (line 4 only).
• For more information about the ARTS bus, please click here. The bus system map is below.

Last year was a little busy around here, ‘little’ being a vast understatement. I’m guessing 2015 won’t be much different. Metro is in the midst of a $14-billion capital program — thanks to Measure R — and, of course, the agency is running one of the nation’s largest transit systems.

A few things on the slate in the year ahead:

A Gold Line train before clearance testing began on the Gold Line Foothill Extension. Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

•The scheduled completion later this year of two rail projects, the second phase of the Expo Line and the Gold Line Foothill Extension. Once work is done, the respective Construction Authorities building the projects will begin the process of handing them over to Metro. Both projects are forecast to open in the first half of 2016.

•With Metro CEO Art Leahy announcing his departure earlier this week, a new chief executive will need to be hired. Art is planning on staying until April 5.

•Heavy construction will continue or begin on three other Metro Rail projects under construction: the Crenshaw/LAX Line, the Purple Line Extension and the Regional Connector.

•On the Crenshaw/LAX Line, the tunnel boring machine to be used on the northern section of the line will be lowered into the ground. The machine was delivered last year.

•The draft environmental document for the SR-710 project is scheduled to be released later this winter. The project aims to improve traffic caused by the gap in the 710 freeway between Alhambra and Pasadena.

The view of Division 13 as of 1:30 p.m. Friday. Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

•The new Division 13 bus maintenance facility in downtown Los Angeles adjacent to Metro headquarters is scheduled to be completed.

•Work continues on the I-5 widening project between the 605 and the Orange County border. Caltrans is the lead agency; Metro is a major funder of the project.

•Also ongoing work on other transit projects, including the pedestrian tunnel under Lankershim to make it easier to transfer between the Orange Line and Red Line in North Hollywood and the bridge over Lankerhshim between the Red Line’s Universal/Studio City Station and Universal Studios.

A bike share station in the Bay Area. Photo by Naotake Murayama, via Flickr creative commons.

•The Metro Board will likely consider a contract for a firm to run a pilot bike share program in downtown L.A.

•Work on the Wilshire Boulevard peak hour bus lanes project is scheduled to be completed later in the year. When done, there will be 7.7 miles of peak hour bus lanes between Wilshire & Centinela (the border between the cities of Santa Monica and Los Angeles) and Wilshire & Valencia, just west of downtown L.A. with buses running in regular traffic lanes in the Condo Canyon section of Wilshire and Beverly Hills.

•On the TAP front, Big Blue Bus is scheduled to start accepting TAP cards in March. Also, new screen prompts will debut on Metro ticket machines and a new regional TAP website is scheduled to premiere.

•Work is soon to begin on the installation of equipment that will allow for wifi and cell phone access in underground rail stations, with initial work in the Red/Purple Line in downtown L.A.

•Delivery of the first completed new light rail vehicles being built by Metro contractor Kinkisharyo.

•And the first delivery of new electric 40-foot buses built by BYD for Metro.

•Metro and the Metro Board will likely be discussing and possibly deciding whether to go forward with a ballot measure for November 2016 to accelerate or fund new projects.

•The Metro Board will have to consider contracts for policing the Metro system. The current contract with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department expires at the end of this fiscal year (the end of June).

•Metro and the Federal Transit Administration will continue to negotiate a federal grant and loan to help build the second section of the Purple Line Extension between Wilshire/La Cienega and Century City. The FTA recently gave Metro the go-ahead to enter into the engineering phase of the New Starts program, a positive sign for Metro’s grant/loan application.

Again, this is basic list of things-to-expect-in-2015. I’m probably missing a few things. We’ll certainly try to chronicle it here on the blog and Metro’s social media streams on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Check back often please for the latest updates!

As of today, TAP is now available across the entire Torrance Transit system, which happens to 75 years young this year. Riders can enjoy this convenient option to pay their fare as well as other TAP benefits.

Instead of handling cash and tokens, riders can simply tap their valid TAP card on the bus farebox when boarding, and enjoy their ride. 

Riders can purchase TAP cards with EZ transit passes and Stored Value at the Torrance Transit System located at 3031 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503, online at taptogo.net, by phone at 866.TAPTOGO (866.827.8646), at one of nearly 400 TAP vendor locations or from TAP vending machines at Metro Rail and Metro Orange Line Stations.

Metro is working toward a regional and seamless system of paying fares — and that means getting all the local bus agencies in Los Angeles County to use TAP.

Current TAP partners include: Antelope Valley Transit Authority, Culver City, Foothill, Gardena, Long Beach Transit, Los Angeles Department of Transportation (which runs DASH buses), Montebello, Monterey Park, Norwalk Transit, Palos Verdes Transit, Pasadena ARTS, Santa Clarita and Torrance Transit. Metrolink has its own TAP enabled tickets and the Big Blue Bus will begin accepting TAP cards later this year.

Have you met Tappy? TAP’s new mascot is here to help you learn how to get the most out of your TAP card. Load it with money — called Stored Value — and you’re good to go.

Metro will no longer be selling tokens starting May 15, 2018. If you are currently in possession of tokens, you will still be able to use them to pay fare until November 29, 2019. However, you will no longer be able to purchase new ones.

Current token holders are encouraged to load fare onto a TAP card, the safest and most convenient way to travel throughout LA County.

TAP cards can be purchased and loaded:

• Online at taptogo.net
• By phone at 866.TAPTOGO
• At more than 400 participating vendor locations across LA County
• At TAP vending machines located at all Metro Rail, Silver Line and Orange Line stations

For more information, call 866.TAPTOGO or visit taptogo.net.

The last day to use Metro tokens is Friday, Nov. 29.  After this day, tokens will no longer be accepted. Unused tokens are non-refundable.

Use your tokens at any TAP vending machine to load a 1-way trip onto a TAP card, the safest and most convenient way to travel throughout LA County.

TAP cards can be purchased and loaded:

• Online at taptogo.net
• By phone at 866.TAPTOGO
• At more than 450 participating vendor locations across LA County
• At TAP vending machines located at all Metro Rail, Silver Line and Orange Line stations

For more information on tokens, call 323.GOMETRO.

For more information on buying and loading a TAP card, call 866.TAPTOGO or visit taptogo.net.

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