L.A. Metro Launches Fare Capping Program

Transit fares will be capped at $5 per day for all riders who pay with TAP cards, whether or not they have weekly or monthly passes.

2 minute read

June 28, 2023, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Orange Los Angeles Metro bus on city street

Tomasz Wozniak / Adobe Stock

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.

Monday, June 26, 2023 in Governing

Portland Bus Lane

‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland

Portland is redesigning its bus system to respond to the changing patterns of the post-pandemic world—with twin goals of increasing ridership and improving equity.

August 30, 2023 - Mass Transit

An aerial view of Milwaukee’s Third Ward.

Plan to Potentially Remove Downtown Milwaukee’s Interstate Faces Public Scrutiny

The public is weighing in on a suite of options for repairing, replacing, or removing Interstate 794 in downtown Milwaukee.

August 27, 2023 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Conceptual rendering of Rikers Island redevelopment as renewable energy facility

Can New York City Go Green Without Renewable Rikers?

New York City’s bold proposal to close the jail on Rikers Island and replace it with green infrastructure is in jeopardy. Will this compromise the city’s ambitious climate goals?

August 24, 2023 - Mark McNulty

A rendering of the Utah City master planned, mixed-use development.

700-Acre Master-Planned Community Planned in Utah

A massive development plan is taking shape for lakefront property in Vineyard, Utah—on the site of a former U.S. Steel Geneva Works facility.

August 31 - Daily Herald

A line of cars wait at the drive-thru window of a starbucks.

More Cities Ponder the End of Drive-Thrus

Drive-thru fast food restaurants might be a staple of American life, but several U.S. cities are actively considering prohibiting the development of new drive-thrus for the benefit of traffic safety, air quality, and congestion.

August 31 - The Denver Post

Air pollution is visible in the air around high-rise buildings in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Air Pollution World’s Worst Public Health Threat, Report Says

Air pollution is more likely to take years life off the lifespan of the average human than any other external factor, according to a recent report out of the University of Chicago.

August 31 - Phys.org