A program that requires disembarking subway riders to tap their Metro cards in order to exit to street level is returning to at least one Los Angeles Metro station.
LA Metro officials confirmed to KTLA on Tuesday that the tap-to-exit program, which was suspended at North Hollywood and Union Station, will return to North Hollywood “shortly.”
The pilot program was launched last year in response to concerns about crime and drug use on the transit system’s subway lines, the vast majority of which were linked to those who did not pay to ride.
But the program was put on pause back in April after the Los Angeles Fire Department raised concerns about potential bottlenecks in the event of an emergency in which the gates would not automatically open.
Currently, in the event of a fire or power outage, gates will go into a “free wheel” mode that allows anyone to get past without tapping. But, according to emails obtained by public transit news operation the SoCal Transiteer, LAFD had specific concerns about other unexpected emergencies that could result in mass panic, like an active shooter.
LA Metro said it would have a staff member on site immediately next to the exit gates to unlock them in the event of this type of emergency. But an inspection by the Fire Department found that no staff member was present when an inspector visited, the emails show.
The tap-to-exit program continued despite these concerns raised by LAFD officials, which eventually led to the Fire Department warning of potential violations filed against the transit agency. In April, the program was suspended while LA Metro and the Fire Department worked on potential solutions.
In the emails obtained by SoCal Tranisteer, a primary issue for the North Hollywood station involved an emergency panel that would release the gates, which was not functional during the LAFD inspection. That panel has apparently been fixed, allowing for the resumption of the program in North Hollywood.
“We thank Los Angeles Fire Department for their close coordination to bring this effective safety program back to the City of LA,” a statement from LA Metro reads. “Metro is working to prepare the necessary communications to let customers know we plan to re-start TAP-to-Exit operations at the North Hollywood B Line Station shortly. We want to be sure that we have sufficient time necessary to communicate with riders to ensure a smooth transition.”
There’s no mention regarding a potential timeline for Union Station’s tap-to-exit program to be resumed. The statement provided to LA Metro officials made no mention of Union Station, despite it being included in the original list of questions. After a follow-up email, an LA Metro representative stated there was no update regarding the program’s future at Union Station.
LA Metro says that, despite the continuing troubleshooting with the Los Angeles Fire Department, tap-to-exit has proven to be an effective solution in “transforming behavior” on the B Line subway system that connects the two stations.
Data from an LA Metro presentation shows that Union Station reported a 116% increase in reported security incidents since the tap-to-exit program was suspended in early April. The North Hollywood station saw a 67% increase. Crime data from the Los Angeles Police Department also showed an increase in “narcotics activity” on the B Line.
In addition to crime and safety incidents, LA Metro says the program’s suspension also led to a sharp decline in revenue collected through fares at both stations.
LA Metro says it still plans to implement tap-to-exit at all of its end-of-line stations, including the new A Line northern terminus in Pomona, which opened earlier in mid-September.
The program was also instituted at the Downtown Santa Monica station on the E Line late last year; Santa Monica was unaffected by the LAFD pause because the city employs its own Fire Department.
Request for comment from the Los Angeles Fire Department went unanswered prior to the publishing of this story.
The post Tap-to-exit program returning to LA Metro’s North Hollywood station appeared first on KTLA.
