Los Angeles Metro

Approximately 12.5% of households in our region have no vehicles and 55% have a household income of less than $60,000. Metro’s reduced fare programs provide affordable alternatives to owning and maintaining a car, thereby reducing financial strain on low-income families. Our Community Relations Director Michael Cortez answers three questions on how the LIFE Program is working toward making our system fully accessible to all Angelenos. 🚍 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆? The LIFE program is an important tool to assist in the fight against income and health inequality and demonstrates Metro’s ongoing commitment to improving social mobility for all. Community outreach and partnerships with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) make Metro more accessible by providing financial relief from the ever-rising cost of living. The transit cost barrier disproportionately impacts low-income households and limit mobility and access to opportunities since they are most likely to not take or delay taking necessary trips due to cost. ⭐ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁? Since 2019, the LIFE program has partnered with 500 active agencies to assist with enrollments, outreach and its LIFE Limited taxi voucher program. These CBOs have directly supported: ⚬ Over 80,000 Enrollments ⚬ Distributed 70,000 brochures annually ⚬ 30,000 TAP cards annually In partnership with the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), DPSS agents have enrolled 33,160 new LIFE participants into the program. We also have 30 events every month, street teams deployed at bus and rail lines countywide & have been at the forefront at wildfire relief centers to help get people into the program. 🚊 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀? Over 400,000 people are enrolled in the LIFE program, but are not actively accessing their monthly benefits. So, the TAP program made the following enhancements: ⚬ Program enrollment details on cards to easily locate monthly benefits ⚬ LIFE identifiers on TAP vendor descriptions to find local vendors & activate monthly benefits ⚬ Deployed monthly benefit reminder emails & vendor outreach events ⚬ Automatically loading 20 rides every month onto LIFE accounts if people choose to opt into the program We understand the best way to know what our riders want is to listen and learn from them so we surveyed LIFE riders and non-LIFE riders to learn how we can improve the program. The report on findings will be released early spring. For more information on the LIFE program visit https://lnkd.in/gThwG2pT

Congratulations, Jordan Rogers! Welcome to the Metro team 🎉

According to our most recent On-Board Survey, about 20% of Metro riders live with a disability. Metro seeks to give all people – including the hundreds of thousands of Angelenos living with disabilities access to what they need to thrive in life.   Here are some of the steps we are taking to make transit easy and accessible to everyone:   🚍 As we build and operate our system, Metro incorporates Universal & Inclusive Design principles -- which aim to meet the needs of all people who use the system -- into our work.   🦽 Metro also prioritizes the training of its personnel, to provide world-class service to people with mobility issues. Our Disabilities Awareness and Sensitivity training gives front line staff tools to interact with customers in a sensitive and effective manner, and we hold Accessibility Training Fairs, which include hands on training related to serving and securing disabled passengers on Metro buses.   Each year, Metro holds a “Wheelchair Securement Competition” which celebrates the operators who demonstrate the greatest skills in helping people who use wheelchairs to get around. See the video below, which was shown at last year’s Moscars, to see what we mean.   🚇Metro offers various alternative transportation options attractive to disabled riders. Metro Micro is popular with riders with disabilities, because it offers a low-cost on-demand alternative to our regular bus and rail system. Metro’s contract partner, Access Services, provides paratransit service to LA County residents, and Metro’s Access for All grant program helps people with disabilities get taxi rides and other services.   For more on our overall equity efforts, visit Metro’s Equity Information Hub: https://lnkd.in/gZ8mMWe9

Did you know 12 percent of people in the LA region can’t afford a car? Owning and maintaining a car is expensive so transit is a lifeline for many Angelenos. That's why Metro has made keeping fares affordable a priority. Metro’s regular fare of $1.75 has remained unchanged since 2014 and is lower compared to other major transit agencies. Each agency’s funding situation varies, and fares reflect that — we’re not trying to throw shade. The point is: we've worked to keep fares low. New York $2.90 King County (Seattle) $2.75 Chicago $2.25 bus $2.50 train SF Muni $2.75 Philadelphia $2.50 Boston $1.70 bus 2.40 rail Miami $2.25 Washington $2.25 bus $2.25 minimum rail LA Metro $1.75 Houston $1.25 We’ve also created programs that provide free and discounted rides for K-12 and Community College students (GoPass), low-income residents (LIFE), discounted fares for seniors, Medicare recipients, and disabled customers.   In 2024, LIFE riders took 20.5 million rides and GoPass students boarded 19.6 million times.   Metro also partners with Access services to provide free fares on Metro Bus and Rail service for customers who have an Access Services ADA certification card.   With Fare Capping, introduced last year, people with a TAP Card never pay more than $5 a day or $18 a week to use our system. Even though Metro is more affordable than other systems, it’s important that we make even-lower cost options available. You can learn more about how Metro prioritizes equity by visiting the Metro Equity Information Hub: https://lnkd.in/gZ8mMWe9

More transit-adjacent housing = better quality of life for communities.    Metro is carrying out its plan to create more affordable housing with direct transit access to communities throughout our vast county under our innovative Joint Development Program.   We work in partnership with residents, community organizations and developers to identify unused, Metro-owned land for housing development.   Metro’s Executive Officer of Transit-Oriented Communities Nick Saponara explains how the program is helping us work toward our equity goals by creating more access to opportunity. 🚍 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼’𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆? Through the Joint Development Program, Metro collaborates with builders and local communities to construct transit-oriented developments on Metro-owned properties with a focus on housing. By expanding access to housing for a range of income levels, Metro is helping to address the acute housing security challenges that face many County residents while expanding equitable access to transit.   ⭐ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼’𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁? Joint Development homes are intended to be affordable specifically for people who live in the community today. The Joint Development Policy calls for studying prevailing income levels and market rents for the neighborhoods in which the projects are proposed to seek homes that would be affordable to people who live in the neighborhood.   🚊 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗶𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱? Metro has a plan for improving quality of life by creating more opportunities to live and work near transit through an ambitious goal to construction 10,000 homes on its property—5,000 of which will be income-restricted—by 2031. In the past year, our development partners have delivered 140 new affordable housing units, with two more projects consisting of 235 affordable housing units slated for completion in the next few months. In addition to the 2,600 under-construction/completed units, more than 2,000 housing units have been approved and are pending construction start. In January 2025, Metro began accepting development proposals for the first of 20 new sites that will allow us to reach our goal of building 10,000 homes on Metro property.   To learn more about our ongoing work with Joint Development program, visit: https://lnkd.in/gXm5SgbB

Metro welcomed the 2025 Public Safety Advisory Committee cohort last week.   The Public Safety Advisory Committee is a diverse group of regular Metro riders who have professional or personal experience that can meaningfully inform safety recommendations to Metro.   The committee meets once a month to review and provide input on safety-related policies and programming.   During onboarding and orientation, the 15 community members heard from Metro leadership about the agency's plans for an equitable and welcoming approach to public safety.

Our LIFE teams have been on site at various resource centers across the LA region to help enroll those financially impacted by wildfires into our LIFE program.   The LIFE program provides a free 90-day transit pass and then 20 free rides per month thereafter.   To help connect people with wildfire resources and ensure Angelenos could get where they needed to go, Metro offered free fares for several weeks. With a fare assistance program now in place for wildfire victims, regular fare collection has resumed.   To apply for Metro's LIFE program, visit https://lnkd.in/gQgSgmiW

Metro is proud to announce the launch of the fourth cohort of the Metro Youth Council, an initiative introduced by CEO Stephanie Wiggins in 2021. This dynamic group of young leaders -– ranging in ages from ages 14 to 17 -- represents the nine sub-districts of Los Angeles County.   They were welcomed into their new roles by Wiggins and Board Chair Janich Hahn at Metro headquarters on Saturday.   Throughout their one-year term, council members will bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to Metro’s ongoing projects, offering invaluable input to enhance our region’s transportation system for all Angelenos. Each year, the Youth Council has played a pivotal role in shaping Metro’s programs and initiatives.   The 2024 cohort created and launched the Youth Destination Guide, an online resource showcasing how to use transit to reach their favorite community spots and offering their peers an opportunity to highlight places of interest.  Previous cohorts have provided invaluable feedback that influenced updates to the Transit Watch 3.0 App, Metro Micro fares and the agency’s Customer Experience Plan and Survey.   They also advocated for the continuation of the GoPass program, which offers free rides on Metro and partner transit agencies in L.A. County students at participating schools. This year promises to be exciting for the Youth Council, as they will actively engage in major rail openings and contribute to impactful projects and programs in preparation for some of the big events coming to our region, including the World Cup and the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.

To help wildfire victims get back on their feet, the Metro Board of Directors today approved modifying the eligibility requirements for our reduced fare programs. The devastating Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires have upended lives, homes and neighborhoods. Our thoughts are with everyone who’s been impacted and we are here to support you. For those who were impacted by the fires, we’re offering: 1. A free transit pass for the first 90 days A 90-day pass for unlimited free rides comes preloaded on your TAP card and can be used immediately on any participating transit system in L.A. County. Plus, you’ll be able to purchase fare products on participating transit systems at a reduced cost. 2. Get 20 free rides every month After your first 90 days, 20 free regional rides will automatically be added to your TAP card every month for the duration of the program. 3. Save with fare capping After 20 rides have been used, you can pay for each ride by adding Stored Value to your TAP card. Ride for free after three rides in one day and 11 rides in a week. *LIFE extension program benefits expire 6 months after enrollment. Those enrolled in the LIFE extension program may be eligible to be enrolled in another reduced fare program after their benefits expire. How to Enroll Metro staff will be on hand at resource centers throughout Los Angeles ensuring those suffering economic impacts from the fires can easily access this transportation resource. You can apply online here: https://lnkd.in/gQgSgmiW Here’s where we’ll be: January 24, Friday/ 9am-4pm/ Westwood Recreation Center (Red Cross Shelter), 350 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 January 25, Saturday / 9am – 4pm / Pasadena City College (FEMA Recovery Center), 3035 E. Foothill Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107 January 25-February 1, Saturday-Saturday /9am-4pm/ (West LA) UCLA Research Park West, 10850 West Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064 January 27-February 1, Monday-Saturday / 9am – 4pm / Kaiser Permanente Pasadena Headquarters, 393 E. Walnut St, Pasadena, CA 91188 We hope this program will make it easier for you to access essential resources. We will continue to do everything in our power to help our region rebuild stronger than ever. If you or someone you know has been affected by the fires, please call Metro Customer Care at 323.GO.METRO (323.466.3867) for more information about the reduced fare program and how to apply. You may also enroll by emailing the nonprofit IILA at lifeinfo@iilosangeles.org and requesting an application to complete. To help connect people with wildfire resources, Metro has been offering free fares. With a fare assistance program now in place for wildfire victims, we’re offering free fares through this Sunday, Jan. 26, and then resume collecting fares from riders with the beginning of service on Monday, Jan. 27.

Thank you to the transit community for your outpouring of support for Los Angeles Metro employees as LA County contends with historic destruction from wildfires. I'm proud of the Metro Family for their swift and united response to this crisis, helping people who have been displaced throughout our region, and helping Los Angeles County Fire Department and City of Los Angeles firefighters and other first responders do their vital work.  Since this began, we’ve canceled no more than 2% of bus service and have had one line initially impacted by the severe winds, which is fully operational as of last Saturday.   It’s times like these that we appreciate being a part of the Transportation Mutual Assistance Compact (TransMAC), a group of transit agencies that have committed to providing mutual assistance within the State of California.  Metro began to engage this group last week, and I’d like to thank the leadership at the City of Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, Long Beach Transit, Torrance Transit, and Orange County Transportation Authority for their willingness to provide support if needed.  I’d also like to thank other American Public Transportation Association members who have reached out.  Metro also appreciates Sound Transit’s offer to donate 13,000 excess N95 masks to help support our riders.  As a region, threats of severe wind are still forecast so we remain in a heightened state of readiness. Based on what we know so far, 19 Metro employees, with over 156 years of service at Metro, have lost everything to the fires, from mechanics, engineers, bus/rail operators, and service attendants, to supervisors, procurement staff, and micro operators. I’ve spoken to many of them directly, and their stories are heartbreaking. Many more employees have been forced to flee or take in family and friends who have needed to evacuate from fire zones. The stress that some of our employees are experiencing is incredible, and Metro is committed to standing with them during these times of uncertainty and demonstrating that we are united in our efforts to support them as they rebuild their lives. In collaboration with the CALIFORNIA TRANSPORTATION FOUNDATION, Metro created the LA Metro Wildfire Relief Assistance Fund (https://lnkd.in/gW7GJjAd), to help our transit workers who’ve lost their homes to the fires. I'm sharing this info in response to those who have asked how you can help these workers in need. There is also a text-to-donate option for the Relief Assistance Fund; text 726823 to 1-855-575-7888. Thank you to the CTF Board for their generosity and partnership.     No matter how long it takes, we will rebuild, and we will come back stronger than ever. California State Transportation Agency Marnie Primmer Allison Yoh Carrie Bowen #LAFires #PalisadesFire #LosAngeles #AltaDenaFire #LAStrong #StaySafe #CaliforniaFires