Downtown Train Station Cracks Down on Illegal Riders

By Lookout Staff

September 13, 2024 -- A new TAP-to-Exit program to crack down on fare dodgers and reduce crime aboard Metro trains was launched at Santa Monica's Downtown station this month.

Approved by the LA County Metro Board in July, the pilot program requires passengers to tap their fare card to exit the station, making it harder for passengers to illegally board trains without paying a fare.

"We need our transit systems to be safe and make sure people are using them as intended," Mayor Phil Brock said in a statement.

"That includes paying your fare and following the rules. I look forward to seeing the positive impacts this program will have.”

According to a KTLA report in July, most of the violent crimes on the Metro system -- including highly publicized fatal shootings and stabbings -- are committed by individuals who do not pay a fare.

In its initial trial at the North Hollywood Metro station, the program reduced crime and other issues, including fights, drug use and graffiti at the station and on the B line by 40 percent, according to reports via Metro’s Transit Watch app.

Between May 2023 and April 2024, riders who didn't pay fares were responsible for 93 percent of the 153 violent crimes committed on the system, according to LA County Sheriff's Department data.

The program is expected to have an impact in Santa Monica, where 59 homeless individuals -- many of whom use the train as a mobile shelter -- exit at the Downtown station on any given night when trains go out of service.

“We value our ongoing partnership with the county and Metro and continue to have productive discussions about how to make the E Line safer for all,” City Manager David White said in a statement.

“I’m tremendously pleased that Metro has chosen Santa Monica as its first site for the TAP-to-Exit expansion, heeding our calls for increased security."