The following announcement appeared on Metro’s The Source blog on November 10, 2025. To read the original post, click here.
TAP-to-Exit returns to North Hollywood and Union Station — and launches at Pomona North on Nov. 17 – Metro’s The Source
TAP-to-Exit at North Hollywood Station.
By Steve Hymon
November 10, 2025
We’re resuming our TAP-to-Exit program at North Hollywood Station (B Line) and Union Station (B & D Lines) at the beginning of service on Monday, Nov. 17. At the same time, we’re also launching TAP-to-Exit at the A Line’s Pomona North Station.
What this means for you: riders will need to TAP at faregates/validators when entering AND exiting these stations.
Tapping when exiting allows us to confirm that you’ve paid fare. Checking fares and improving fare compliance, in turn, helps us make the Metro system safer by ensuring our system is used for its intended purpose: getting around our region.
TAP-to-Exit was paused at North Hollywood and Union Station last spring for us to resolve technical issues with the Los Angeles Fire Department. TAP-to-Exit has been ongoing at the E Line’s Downtown Santa Monica Station.
How TAP-to-Exit works:
If you tapped your card and fare was deducted when you started your trip, tapping out will confirm fare was paid.
If you have not tapped your card when you started your trip, your fare will be collected when you TAP out. Point-of-emphasis: you are expected to pay fare when entering the system and you could be warned, cited, or removed from the system for failure to pay fare when entering.
We’ll have plenty of staff at both stations when TAP-to-Exit resumes to help riders pay fares and answer any questions. At NoHo this past summer we also added new, taller faregates that are designed to prevent fare evasion. Staff will also be on hand to help riders apply for our low-income fare program (called LIFE) that provides 20 free rides per month and unlimited free rides for the first 90 days for qualifying riders. More info here.
Some stats that we’ve collected on TAP-to-Exit:
•We surveyed riders at North Hollywood in 2024 and 90 percent felt that the program made the station cleaner, and 86 percent felt safer. The numbers were even higher among women.
•Reports to our Transit Watch app of crime and other issues (fights, drug use and graffiti) dropped by more than 40 percent on the B Line.
•After TAP-to-Exit was launched at Downtown Santa Monica Station and paired with more fare enforcement on the E Line, incidents on the E Line dropped 55 percent.
•In the first month of the program at North Hollywood, 15,000 unpaid rides were identified and paid for upon exit, amounting to an 11 percent increase in fare compliance. Overall, 120,000 fares were collected because of TAP-to-Exit, recovering over $130,000 in fare revenue that we can use to maintain and improve our system.
Tapping to exit is not new – it’s a common feature in other major transit systems across the nation, including BART in the San Francisco Bay Area, MARTA in the Atlanta area, WMATA in the Washington D.C. region, as well as in London and Tokyo — two of the world’s largest transit systems.
Feedback is welcome. TAP-to-Exit is one of many steps that we’re taking to improve safety and cleanliness on our system.
Questions About Riding the New A Line Extension from Glendora to Pomona
For questions about passenger service, fares, schedules, parking, bike lockers and more at the four new stations from Glendora to Pomona, please visit Metro’s official website at https://www.metro.net/alinetopomona/. You can also call 323-GO-METRO (323-466-3876) or email customerrelations@metro.net.
Questions About Foothill Transit Bus Connections to New Stations
For questions about Foothill Transit bus stops and connections at the four new stations from Glendora to Pomona, visit Foothill Transit’s official website at https://www.foothilltransit.org/. You can also call 1-800-RIDE-INFO (1-800-743-3463) or email comment@foothilltransit.org.