Has anyone tried out using TAP PLUS (direct debit/credit card payment) on systems that charge different fare rates between cash and TAP and which one gets deducted?

Off the top of my head, these are SMBBB, LADOT DASH, and Angel's Flight

• SMBBB $1.25 when paid with TAP vs $1.50 when paid in cash
• DASH $0.35 when paid with TAP vs $0.50 when paid in cash
• Angel's Flight: $0.75 when paid with TAP vs $1.50 when paid in cash
• Any others?

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Take the Metro J Line south to San Pedro and get off at the Beacon/1st St stop one block away from Battleship IOWA. Save $2 on regular price admission at the ticket booth when you show your valid TAP card at the museum entrance.

GTrans has an updated page today that you can use their Line 7X from Harbor Gateway to SoFi Stadium during World Cup matches, and it seems to hint that TAP PLUS (open payments) will be available by then as it lists payment is accepted using contactless credit cards with no setup required.

How to Pay:

• Contactless credit card — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and UnionPay are all accepted. No setup required. 
• Use a TAP card — available as a physical card, in Apple Wallet on iPhone, or via the TAP app on iPhone and Android. Pro-tip: Load return fare onto your TAP card ahead of time to avoid delays.

Going back to historical articles, time seems to fly by really quick that we're almost approaching 2 years since TAP to Exit got first started at NoHo on 5/28/2024.

Granted there was that brief pause of the program last year due to the BS bureaucracy with LAFD, but despite all the whining and complaints that it's not going to work back then, it seems the program is working as intended. And since then NoHo has went from removing the older turnstiles to installing the new faregates, as well as the program being expanded to LAUS (B/D Lines), DTSM, Pomona North and now Wilshire/La Cienega.

OTOH, while the initial plans called for expanding TAP to Exit starting at all end of line stations, they're still not active at end of line stations such as Atlantic, Redondo or Norwalk, and I doubt DTLB will ever be done due to the station design. Maybe there will be more about this next month as recent Metro Service Council meetings has said they're going to give a report on the effectiveness of TAP to Exit and the new faregates in the June Metro Board meeting.

Are there hiccups like people misusing the ESGs when security isn't looking? Definitely, but overall the security and safety seems to been a net positive. The only thing holding back at this point is the LAFD bureaucracy where if that issue is resolved, they can remove the ESGs altogether and just go with the new faregates being the emergency exits themselves; whenever that maybe.

Looks like LA is becoming an inspiration for other transit systems like SDMTS to make them consider installing faregates on their system too?

>Several other transit systems in America are installing or improving fare gates on their systems to address both fare evasion and safety and security on trains, with revenue-generating results.

>Los Angeles Metro began installing fare gates at 28 high volume stations in March 2025 at a cost of about $15 million. The agency started with Firestone and Lake stations on its A Line and the initial report last April found that there was a 107% and 248% increase respectively in paid entries at those stations, and a 75% decrease in reported security incidents.

>As of February this year, 22 Los Angeles stations have been fitted with improved fare gates and “incidents related to security concerns, vandalism/graffiti, and cleanliness declined by 69% at stations with new gates,” according to Los Angeles Metro.

https://preview.redd.it/v8o3c6ttku0h1.jpg?width=876&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c71e5552d874a2932ce0baf43166cefd0e3b23e

Don't know if anyone here uses it but COW seems to be ending their service at the end of this month.

Again, the faregates BART is using is the same that LA Metro has been installing, so what they're doing could also be done here.

They're tweaking the AI sensor features so that the doors shut 300 ms faster, hoping that'll deter even more piggybacking fare evaders. To be rolled out across BART's system on 5/18.

Official LA Metro - Facebook

Official LA Metro - Instagram

I guess the LACMA Urban Lights TAP cards so fast that they ran out of them before the official word got out?

Not seeing this posted anywhere even on the r/octransit subreddit, so posting it here as a reminder for anyone who uses OCTA

No more old paper passes; OCTA will be fully WAVE only starting today.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC OUTREACH

Metrolink is facing significant financial pressure due to rising costs and reduced operating funding. As we assess our financial outlook, we are evaluating service reductions and a potential fare increase, which could take effect as early as October.  

On June 26, 2026, the Metrolink Board of Directors will hold a Public Hearing on the following proposals:  

Fare Increase 

Metrolink has not raised fares in the last 13 years, despite periods of high inflation and significantly increased operational costs. Proposed changes include: 

• Making the current ticket structure and discounts part of Metrolink’s regular fare structure 
• Raising fares for One-Way Tickets by up to 15% 
• Raising the price of the SoCal Day Pass by up to $2 on weekends and by up to $5 on weekdays

 

Reduced Service 

Potential service reductions may include: 

• Fewer trains during peak hours, resulting in longer wait times.  
• Elimination of weekend service. 
• Fewer midday and late-night trains.  
• Adjustments to lines, including shortened routes with some trains no longer serving stations at the end of the line.

 

 

How to Comment on These Proposals 

Your voice matters. Metrolink offers customers and the public the following ways to share your feedback:  

• Submit your comments to https://metrolinktrains.com/ecomments 
• Attend a virtual public meeting on May 13 or 14, 2026, from 5-6 p.m.  
• May 13:  https://scrra.zoom.us/j/84443238325 
• May 14:   https://scrra.zoom.us/j/87260758190 
• Attend the Public Hearing on June 26, 2026, online or in person.

  

To request translation for this meeting, please email communityrelations@scrra.net at least 72 hours before the meeting.