Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority - Fares

Fares

The following table shows Metro fares, effective August 1, 2011 (in US dollars):

* $0.55 fare 5 am–9 am and 3 pm–7 pm non-holiday weekdays.
** $0.25 fare 9 am-3 pm and 7 pm-5 am weekdays and all day weekends and holidays.
*** As of March 15, 2009, no day passes are sold on buses without possession of a TAP card, which can be purchased at various retail outlets for $2 for use on the bus. All passes are now available on TAP card. A Reduced Fare TAP card is now available for Senior/Disabled, College/Vocational students and K–12 Students.
^ Zone charges are not imposed for discount pass holders, but are imposed for discount cash fare payers.

There are no fare gates on some of the Metro Rail stations and the Orange Line. Instead, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Metro fare inspectors conduct random checks of the system. If riders are caught without a ticket they can be fined up to US$ 250 and/or ordered to perform community service for 48 hours.

Fare evasion was estimated in 2007 to be at 6%, costing Metro $2.6 million annually. In response to this, the Metro board approved fare gating of all stations on the Red and Green Lines, and selected stations on the Orange, Blue, and Gold Lines, capturing 84% of passengers using the system. Adding fare gates was selected to increase fare collections, implement distance based fares on rail and transitways in the future, and reduce the potential of the system to terrorist attack. Former Metrolink executive director Richard Stanger critiqued the gate installation by citing its cost and ineffectiveness, concerns ultimately dismissed by the Metro board.

In 2007, with the consent decree with the BRU expired, Metro announced plans for a fare hike. They said that they needed to reduce their $US 100 million deficit, which would be done either by raising fares or reducing service. This proposal garnered strong opposition from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilman Bernard Parks, the Bus Riders Union, and low-income residents.

On May 24, 2007, the Metro board approved fare increases, which were lower than their original proposal, but eliminated the semi-monthly pass.

Measure R calls for all senior and disabled fares, as well as student passes, to be frozen at current rates until July 1, 2013.

The Rider Relief Transportation Program (RRTP) provides fare subsidy coupons to eligible riders who purchase daily, weekly, or monthly Metro passes, TAP cash value, and EZ transit passes from participating transit systems. Eligible riders include adult regular riders, Senior/Disabled/Medicare, K–12 grade students, and college/vocational students who are pre-qualified by a participating community-based agency. RRTP subsidy coupons are available to Los Angeles County residents whose household income levels meet the following criteria. Persons in:

• Household size: Annual Income
• 1: $25,900
• 2: $29,600
• 3: $33,300
• 4: $37,000
• 5: $39,950
• 6: $42,900

Residents of the Cities/County and students of schools and colleges already being subsidized for Metro fare media will not be eligible to receive the coupon subsidy.