Purpose

To consolidate, disseminate, and gather information concerning the 710 expansion into our San Rafael neighborhood and into our surrounding neighborhoods. If you have an item that you would like posted on this blog, please e-mail the item to Peggy Drouet at pdrouet@earthlink.net

Friday, December 6, 2013

Metro Blue Line gates go be latched December 11

http://thesource.metro.net/2013/12/06/metro-blue-line-gates-to-be-latched-december-11-2013/

By Paul Gonzales, December 6, 2013

The next step in latching gates on the Metro Rail system begins Wednesday, December 11, 2013 as five Blue Line stations will be updated and secured. Blue Line stations with existing turnstiles will be latched, including Slauson, Firestone, Compton, Artesia and Del Amo stations.

Fourteen stations on the Metro Green Line are scheduled to begin latching on December 18, with work expected to be completed by February, 2014. The latching of Metro Rail gates began June 19, 2013 at Union Station on the Red/Purple subway lines and was completed in August and 5 Gold Line stations were latched in October. When completed, 41 of 80 Metro Rail stations will be latched to provide fuller integration in the TAP universal fare system.

Gate latching requires passengers to use a TAP card loaded with appropriate fare to pass through turnstiles at rail stations. TAP helps to strengthen fare enforcement and is utilized as fare media on 12 transportation providers including Metro, Metrolink, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Access, Antelope Valley, Culver City, Gardena, Foothill, Norwalk, Montebello, Santa Clarita and Torrance. By the end of 2014 a total of 26 carriers will be part of TAP creating, for the first time, a seamless, regional transit system.

Metro and its transit partners have been rolling out TAP for several years and in addition to tracking fares, TAP gathers data on passenger usage so service can be adjusted to demand.

Metro is monitoring TAP’s progress to determine its impact on fare evasion. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and civilian security personnel provide added security on board trains and buses as well as at transit facilities and stations. They randomly check patrons on trains and stations using electronic fare checkers to ensure proper payment is made. With the new fare gating system in place, Metro can better monitor passenger flow and usage of rail stations.