For years, LA Metro riders have been met with regular reminders to “have your TAP card ready for inspection.” Yet a new analysis reveals that fare enforcement has been largely nonexistent — despite public claims suggesting otherwise. According to a detailed 15-page report released by transit researchers, LA Metro effectively stopped enforcing fares years ago, allowing widespread evasion and fueling ongoing safety concerns.
The findings come as LA Metro continues to face criticism over perceptions of crime, cleanliness, and reliability — issues riders say have intensified since the pandemic.
A System Where Almost Half of Riders Don’t Pay
LA Metro’s roughly 200 Transit Security Officers (TSOs) issued under 10 fare citations per day across the entire system, according to the latest safety reports. On average, each TSO issued just 1.4 fare citations per month — a collapse in enforcement that researchers say does not match reality on the ground.
The report estimates:
- 46% of riders do not pay fares
- Some bus and rail lines exceed 60% evasion
- Over 12 million unpaid boardings occur every month
Even more troubling, Metro acknowledges that more than 90% of individuals committing crimes on the system enter without paying. With basic fare controls absent, onboard disorder has persisted — and so have negative perceptions. Nearly two-thirds of riders surveyed by USC last year said the system felt unsafe.
How LA Metro Got Here
The shift began in 2017, when Metro transferred enforcement powers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to its in-house security team. Fare collection was later suspended during the pandemic, cementing new norms as riders grew accustomed to boarding without payment.
Since then, Metro has conveyed the message that enforcement has resumed — but the numbers tell a different story. Over the entire summer, TSOs issued only 19 citations or warnings related to non-fare Code of Conduct violations.
Metro leadership has argued that TSOs serve as a “deterrent” simply by being present. But riders ask: Deterrent to what, if TAP cards are never checked?
Riders Want Security More Than Service Upgrades
Survey results included in the report show riders consistently ranking safety and cleanliness above frequency, reliability, and other service improvements. They also strongly support infrastructure-based enforcement like higher faregates.
Researchers argue that fare enforcement is not punitive, pointing out that low-income riders already qualify for Metro’s LIFE program, which provides 20 free rides per month and does not expose riders to criminal records.
The Proposed Fix: Validate TAP Cards Onboard
The authors recommend a straightforward solution:
Retask TSOs to conduct onboard proof-of-payment checks across rail and bus lines.
At a modest rate of 20 verifications per hour, Metro could check more than 20,000 riders daily with current staffing — re-establishing consequences for dodging fares and helping TSOs intervene in crimes as they happen.
They argue that the last five years have unintentionally turned LA Metro into America’s largest free-transit experiment, and the results have been clear: riders overwhelmingly say it hasn’t worked.
As the report concludes, it’s time for Metro to restart meaningful fare enforcement and restore dignity, safety, and accountability to the system.
For background on LA Metro operations, visit the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
USC’s public safety survey methodology is available via the University of Southern California.
