About 10 months after its original rollout, Metro’s TAP-to-Exit program has officially arrived at Los Angeles’ Union Station. Beginning February 18th, 2025, riders must now scan their TAP card to exit the station after their journey. TAP-to-Exit is expanding to stations throughout the city in an effort to improve safety and fare compliance.
Metro began informing Union Station travelers of the change about a week ago, and the program is now officially in effect for travelers on the B and D lines. Now, turnstiles are locked at entrances and exits, so travelers will need to tap their TAP card or scan their Metrolink fare to get in and out. This week, Metro has established an “education period,” which ends on Feb. 25th. After that date, security will start issuing citations to those who don’t have valid fares.
TAP-to-Exit first launched in North Hollywood in May 2024, followed by Downtown Santa Monica in September. Metro has seen positive results in both locations; namely, a 40% reduction in crime along the 14 B-line stations in North Hollywood according to the Transit Watch app, and a 55% drop in Transit Watch incidents on the E Line in Santa Monica.
Metro revealed that 94% of individuals arrested for violent crimes on the Metro system do not possess valid fare or a TAP card. They assert that after the pilot program was implemented, 90% of North Hollywood riders said the Metro felt cleaner, and 86% said it felt safer.
And when it comes to fare evasion, Metro has recouped over $130,000 in fares by correcting 120,000 unpaid passenger exits since the program’s launch. So, fare evaders… maybe now’s a good time to spring for the limited-edition Black History Month TAP card?
While TAP-to-Exit will take some getting used to, it’s not an unusual practice in other major cities. Similar systems are used to dissuade fare evasion on Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Metropolitan-Atlanta Regional Transit Authority (MARTA).
Metro plans to expand TAP-to-Exit to all end-of-line stations in 2025. You can learn more about the program here.