L.A. Metro Launches Fare Capping Program

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is joining other transit agencies that are capping daily fares for pay-as-you-go riders, writes Jared Brey in Governing.

“On July 1, Los Angeles Metro will introduce a new fare policy whereby riders who pay for each ride as they go will pay no more per week than riders who buy an unlimited weekly pass.” This means Metro riders will pay no more than $5 per day or $18 per week.

As Brey explains, “The new policy is designed to address an inequity that persists in many transit agencies, where regular riders who can least afford the upfront cost of weekly or monthly passes end up paying more to ride the subway or bus.”

Over two dozen agencies around the country have implemented fare capping programs since 2017, when Portland became the first U.S. city to adopt one. Unlike programs such as New York City’s, “The weekly counter begins whenever a rider makes their first swipe and runs for seven days, rather than starting over on Monday. That’s part of the agency’s attempts to make a smooth transition to TAP cards for riders who currently pay cash.”

Other changes to Metro’s fare policies include the end of half-price discounts on daily, weekly, and monthly passes and a new flat 75 cent rate for seniors, riders with disabilities, and students.