The Transit Access Pass (TAP) is a

contactless smart card A contactless smart card is a contactless credential whose dimensions are credit card size. Its embedded integrated circuits can store (and sometimes process) data and communicate with a terminal via NFC. Commonplace uses include transit ticket ...

used for

automated fare collection An automated fare collection (AFC) system is the collection of components that automate the ticketing system of a public transportation network – an automated version of manual fare collection. An AFC system is usually the basis for integrated t ...

on most public transport agencies within

Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the List of United States counties and county equivalents, most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 202 ...

. The card is also available in electronic form, free of charge, in

Apple Wallet Apple Wallet (or simply Wallet, known as Passbook prior to iOS 9) is a digital wallet developed by Apple Inc. and included with iOS and watchOS that allows users to store Wallet passes such as coupons, boarding passes, Campus card, student ID c ...

, thereby bypassing the need to purchase the plastic USD $2 card. It is administered by the

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), branded as Metro, is the county agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the Transportation in Los Angeles, public transportation system in Los Ang ...

(Metro), and the card and fare collection systems are manufactured by

Cubic Transportation Systems Cubic Corporation is an American multinational defense and public transportation equipment manufacturer. It operates two business segments: Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) and Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions (CMPS). History Cubic C ...

Description

The physical TAP card is a blue, or orange for reduced fare, credit-card-sized contactless stored value smart card which can hold a transit Pass or cash balance. The electronic card can be acquired either through the TAP mobile app or through Apple Wallet. The TAP card must be tapped on electronic readers to validate it when entering and transferring within the system. TAP readers are integrated in bus fare boxes, bus validators and standalone readers are located just outside the paid area of Metro Rail stations. Because Metro Rail has a mix of barrier free and faregated areas, it operates on a

proof-of-payment Proof-of-payment (POP) or proof-of-fare (POF) is an honor-based fare collection system used on many public transportation systems. Instead of checking each passenger as they enter a fare control zone, passengers are required to carry a paper ...

system: as such, Metro's fare inspectors randomly check using a wireless handheld unit to make sure TAP users have validated their card. The cards may be "recharged" in person from ticket vending machines in Metro Rail stations, TAP Vendors, at Metro Customer Service Centers or online. The card is designed to reduce the number of transactions at Customer Service Centers. The physical card costs $2 and is only available with a fare media product (such as a day pass or stored value). The electronic version is free to use but requires purchasing stored value when adding it to a user's mobile wallet, after which, it can be enrolled in any applicable discount programs through the online TAP website. Cards can also be purchased on Metro buses (since 15 September 2014) for $2 plus stored value (which works like a debit card). TAP cards expire approximately 3–10 years from purchase. Currently most operators sell passes on the TAP web site, with Metro replacing their own monthly, weekly, and day passes with a

fare capping Fare capping is a feature of public transport fare collection systems, which allows passengers to earn an Transit pass, unlimited-ride pass by paying single-ride fares. Typically, passengers pay a single-ride fare each time they use public transpo ...

system. Stored value (cash purse) can be added onto the TAP card at rail ticket vending machines, retail locations, and online. Non-Metro agencies may sell transfers on TAP cards, which can be read by Metro TAP readers. For non-Metro operators, TAP cards are sold at their administrative offices, TAP website, or customer service centers. There are some agencies in Southern California which do not (yet) accept the TAP card. Transit agencies have been allowed to transition onto TAP at their own pace, and it is not a requirement for receiving Metro funding or participation in interagency transfer agreements.

History

Prior to introduction of the TAP card, a magnetic stripe card called the Metrocard (not to be confused with the New York

Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a New York state public benefit corporations, public benefit corporation in New York (state), New York State responsible for public transportation in the New York metropolitan area, New York Ci ...

card Card or The Card may refer to: Common uses * Plastic cards of various types: **Bank card **Credit card **Debit card **Payment card * Playing card, used in games * Printed circuit board, or card * Greeting card, given on special occasions Arts an ...

) was introduced in 1993 on Culver CityBus, with later expansion to Foothill Transit, Montebello Bus Lines, Norwalk Transit, and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus. The fare card only offered stored value, and was compatible with GFI Genfare fareboxes used by these systems. The program was dubbed the Universal Fare System, or UFS, for future implementation throughout Los Angeles County. Later innovations expanded the magnetic stripe technology for monthly and day passes. TAP was initially tested by

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

students, select businesses (A-TAP and B-TAP program) and Metro staff. In October 2007, TAP had a two-month test program limited to the first 2,000 customers. TAP was rolled out to the general public in February 2008 as a free upgrade for monthly pass customers, and on February 11, 2008, to replace the stored value Metrocards for Culver CityBus riders. Santa Monica Big Blue Bus opted out of the Universal Fare System program entirely and in 2006 converted their existing regional Metrocards to operate only within their system. Other agencies, such as Foothill Transit and Norwalk Transit, transitioned from Metrocard to TAP in 2009. On March 15, 2009, TAP's scope was expanded to Metro 24-hour passes, which are now no longer sold and have been replaced with fare capping (although paper 24-hour passes were still able to be purchased at ticket vending machines until 2012). TAP cards were issued for seniors and the disabled beginning January 2009, and all senior and disabled riders were required to obtain TAP cards by December 2010. In August 2011, all Metro multi-day passes were converted to TAP cards. The existing monthly and weekly passes were converted into 30 and 7 day passes, respectively, with the period beginning on the first tap after the pass is purchased. Effective September 2012, all Metro Rail fares are sold on TAP, and paper tickets are no longer sold, with the exception of municipal transfers, which have since also been moved to TAP. All EZ transit passes have been converted to TAP. The fee for obtaining a TAP card is $2. Between June 19, 2013 and June 18, 2014 the fare gates at 40 Metro stations were "latched" so they open only with a valid TAP card. To make the fare gate system possible, other agencies use TAP-compatible fare media in 2018. Effective July 15, 2018, paper-issued interagency transfers as well as temporary TAP cards used to transfer to Metro Rail have been discontinued. Passengers must use a TAP card with Stored Value to board the first bus or the Metro Rail/Orange/Silver Line, then use the TAP card to transfer to another bus or Metro Rail/Orange/Silver Line to complete the trip. On Metro buses and rail lines, transfers are free for up to two hours. Effective July 1st, 2023, Metro introduced Fare Capping, eliminating their monthly, weekly, and day passes. The regular fare cap is currently set at a maximum of $5 a day, or $18 a week, with lower caps for riders with discounted fares. After reaching these caps, riders are not charged for travel for the remainder of the time period.

Design

The default, standard fare TAP card design features a dark blue background with red and yellow circles and the TAP logo, introduced in 2015. The reduced fare design features an orange background and shaded palm tree. Prior to this, the designs featured simple light blue and orange backgrounds with the words "Smart. Simple. Secure" printed at the top. Since 2012, Metro, LADOT, and other agencies have also released various limited-edition TAP card designs. Past designs have featured

CicLAvia CicLAvia () is a nonprofit, car-free streets initiative in Los Angeles, California. The organization temporarily closes streets to motor vehicles to make them accessible to vendors and the public. It occurs several times a year on new and repeati ...

Metro Bike Share Metro Bike Share is a bicycle sharing system in the Los Angeles, California metropolitan area. The service was launched on July 7, 2016. It is administered by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and is operated by ...

Union Station A union station, union terminal, joint station, or joint-use station is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway company, railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently bet ...

's 75th anniversary, the

Los Angeles Marathon The Los Angeles Marathon (formerly known as the City of Los Angeles Marathon) is an annual running event typically held each spring in Los Angeles, California, since 1986. The marathon was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Ga ...

, and the naming of

Obama Boulevard President Barack Obama Boulevard (commonly known as Obama Boulevard, formerly Rodeo Road) is a major thoroughfare in South Los Angeles. It stretches from Baldwin Hills (past Baldwin Village and Crenshaw Manor) to Leimert Park. History Prev ...

. Other designs feature partnerships with schools such as

and

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

, sports teams including the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...

and

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

, along with yearly, commemorative cards for

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...

LGBT Pride Month Pride Month, sometimes specified as LGBTQ Pride Month, is a month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) culture and community. Pri ...

Latino Heritage Month National Hispanic Heritage Month (Spanish: ''Mes nacional de la herencia hispana'') is annually observed from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic culture to the nation's achie ...

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...

, and

Veterans Day Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with holidays in several countries, i ...

Features

Useable on Metro Bus, Metro Rail,

and Micro. Digital version is available on Apple Wallet and Android devices. In 2024 TAP starte
all-door boarding
on buses to enable faster and more convenient trips. 2nd Gen TAP card reader

Agencies using TAP

Current

TAP is accepted by 28 transit agencies based in Los Angeles County only, as of December 2023: *

Angels Flight Angels Flight is a landmark and historic narrow-gauge funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has two funicular cars, named ''Olivet'' and ''Sinai'', that run in opposite directions on a shared ...

Antelope Valley Transit Authority Antelope Valley Transit Authority is the transit agency serving the cities of Palmdale, Lancaster and Northern Los Angeles County. Antelope Valley Transit Authority is operated under contract by MV Transportation, and is affiliated with and offer ...

* Baldwin Park Transit *

Beach Cities Transit Beach Cities Transit (BCT) is a public transit service operated through inter-municipal cooperation among the cities of Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach, with additional service to El Segundo. The agency operates two bus rout ...

Big Blue Bus Big Blue Bus (stylized in lowercase) is a public transit agency that provides public bus services for the city of Santa Monica and the greater Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. The service, operated by the city of Santa Monica ...

(Santa Monica) *

Burbank Bus Burbank Bus (stylized as BurbankBus) in Burbank, California is a city-operated public transport bus service, providing local routes within the city including connections with rail service to Los Angeles or surrounding suburbs. Burbank Bus complem ...

* Carson Circuit Transit System *

City of Santa Clarita Transit City of Santa Clarita Transit is a local bus service, administered by the City's transit division, that serves the City of Santa Clarita, California and nearby surrounding unincorporated areas. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per we ...

* Compton Renaissance Transit *

Culver CityBus Culver CityBus is a public transport agency operating in Culver City, California, currently serving Culver City, the unincorporated community of Marina del Rey, and the adjacent Los Angeles neighborhoods. Its regular fleet is painted bright ...

* FlyAway (LAX) *

Foothill Transit Foothill Transit is a public transit agency that is government funded by 22 member cities in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys. It operates a fixed-route bus public transit service in the San Gabriel Valley region of eastern Los Angeles Cou ...

* Gardena GTrans *

Glendale Beeline Glendale Beeline is the municipal bus and paratransit service which serves the city of Glendale, California, United States. It provides service in Glendale, as well as parts of nearby Burbank, La Cañada Flintridge and La Crescenta-Montrose. The ...

* Glendora Transportation Division * Huntington Park Express * Lawndale Beat *

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LACDPW) is responsible for the construction and operation of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County's roads, building code, building safety, Sewage collection and disposal, sewerage, an ...

** Los Angeles Metro Bike Share **

Los Angeles Metro Bus The Los Angeles Metro Bus is the transit bus service in Los Angeles County, California, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Metro Bus operates in the Los Angeles Basin, the San Fernando Valley, and th ...

Los Angeles Metro Busway The Los Angeles Metro Busway (previously known as Metro Liner and Metro Transitway) is a system of bus rapid transit (BRT) routes that operate primarily along exclusive or semi-exclusive roadways known locally as a busway or transitway. There a ...

Los Angeles Metro Rail The Los Angeles Metro Rail is an urban rail transit system serving Los Angeles County, California, United States, consisting of six lines: four light rail lines (the A, C, E and K lines) and two rapid transit lines (the B and D lines), ...

Los Angeles Department of Transportation The Los Angeles Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as LADOT, is a municipal agency that oversees transportation planning, design, construction, maintenance and operations within the city of Los Angeles. LADOT was created by city o ...

**Commuter Express **DASH *

Long Beach Transit Long Beach Transit (LBT) is the operator of public transit bus and ferry services in Long Beach, California and its surrounding cities. Long Beach Transit operates 37 bus routes, serving the Gateway Cities region of Los Angeles County. In additi ...

Montebello Bus Lines Montebello Bus Lines is a municipal bus operator in Montebello, California, USA, mainly serving East Los Angeles, Commerce, and Montebello. History Montebello Bus Lines began on 28 July 1931, with a small lot on the corner of Greenwood Avenu ...

Monterey Park Spirit Bus The Monterey Park Spirit Bus is the transportation service of Monterey Park, California, United States, providing local routes that serve the need of those commuting within the city itself or who plan on using the bus to connect with rail service ...

* Norwalk Transit *

Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority The Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority is the primary provider of mass transportation in the Los Angeles suburbs of Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates, California. Six color routes provide lo ...

Pasadena Transit Pasadena Transit, formerly known as Pasadena Area Rapid Transit System (Pasadena ARTS), is the transit bus service in the city of Pasadena, California, Pasadena, California. The system was launched as a single shuttle route ahead of the 1994 FIF ...

* Santa Clarita Transit *

Torrance Transit Torrance Transit is a transit agency primarily serving the South Bay, Los Angeles, South Bay region of Los Angeles County. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . History Torrance Transit inaugurated service on Januar ...

Partial

Metrolink

Metrolink does not use TAP for fare collection and has no plans to do so. Instead, tickets include an EZ Transit Pass QR code and are only enabled on a one-way, round trip, 7 day, weekend and monthly passes issued for trips to or from a Los Angeles County destination, allowing passengers to transfer to connecting services. Passengers boarding buses show their ticket to the driver, passengers entering a rail station with gates scan a QR code on the ticket or mobile app to unlatch the turnstile.

Orange County Transportation Authority

While the

Orange County Transportation Authority The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is the transportation planning commission for Orange County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. OCTA is responsible for funding and implementing transit and capital projects for ...

does not use TAP, the agency will honor TAP cards when passengers board lines that directly serve Metrolink Stations (routes 1, 21, 24, 26, 29, 38, 43, 47/A, 50, 53, 54, 56, 57, 59, 70, 71, 83, 85, 86, 90, 91, 143, 123, 453, 472, 473, 480, 543, 553, 560, 862) and at bus stops where OCTA buses directly connect with.

TAP Plus

TAP Plus is an upgraded version of the Transit Access Pass (TAP) system, offering enhanced features and integration capabilities. It supports open payments and account-based transactions, allowing users to manage various fare products such as GoPass, LIFE, and others. The system is designed to work seamlessly across multiple transit agencies and includes updated equipment like new validators for rail gates and buses. The TAP Plus system aims to improve user experience by simplifying access to transit services and offering flexible payment options. It includes a robust customer feedback mechanism, with user experience testing set to begin in the Summer of 2024. The implementation of open payment options and account-based systems is scheduled to be completed by 2026, aligning with the readiness timeline for the 2028 Olympics. Key Features: Interoperability with multiple transit operators and fare products Support for open payment systems Enhanced equipment and infrastructure Focus on user experience and feedback-driven improvements

References

External links

* * {{American smartcards Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Fare collection systems in the United States Contactless smart cards