April 14, 2009 Contact: Dave Sotero/Marc Littman Metro Media Relations 213.922.3007/922.2700 www.metro.net/pressroom

L.A. Metro Reminds Transit Customers to “Tap” Their New Smart Cards Every Time They Use the Metro System

• Customers urged to retain their cards to reload fare value on an ongoing basis

Don’t forget to TAP! That’s the message the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) wants all its customers to remember now that more riders are utilizing the agency’s reusable, universal fare payment “TAP” cards on the countywide Metro bus and rail system.

The durable blue and orange plastic fare cards contain an electronic chip that stores the customer’s day pass, weekly pass or monthly pass fare payment information. But to validate these payments, customers need to tap their card against the TAP validator every time they board a Metro bus or before entering paid areas of train stations. Patrons are required to tap their card onto the Metro Rail station TAP validator just before boarding any Metro train. If customers use multiple bus or rail services in a single day, they must tap their card for each service and when transfering from one rail line to the next.

This process ensures that transit customers have successfully validated the proper fare card and protects them against the risk of citation for fare evasion. Train riders in particular forget that, even if they have a valid day, weekly, or monthly pass loaded on their TAP cards, they must tap before boarding the train.

Customers are also reminded not to throw their TAP cards away. TAP cards are intended to be reused every time a new day pass, weekly pass or monthly pass is purchased so that it can be reloaded onto the same card. Metro issued more than 500,000 free TAP cards with the purchase of a day pass to bus patrons during the introductory period of March 15 to April 11. There is a $2 fee for the card thereafter.

TAP cards are progressively replacing all Metro paper passes and stamps. These smart cards can be purchased at Metro Customer Centers and more than 400 vendor locations throughout Los Angeles County. Monthly pass TAP cards can be purchased online after the 25th of the current month for the next month at www.taptogo.net or by calling 1.866.TAPTOGO.

For more information on Metro’s TAP program, visit www.metro.net/tap.

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Editors Note: “Metro” should be used when referring to this agency.

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