MTS cracks down on fare evasion
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The Metropolitan Transit System is cracking down on fare evasion after the rate at which riders didn't pay skyrocketed beginning in 2022.
Why it matters: The explosion in fare evasion has deprived the system of revenue and has coincided with the increased perception that the system is unsafe.
Driving the news: The MTS board voted this week to eliminate a 2020 policy allowing discovered violators to pay their fare without being cited.
- Agency officials blamed the policy for fare evasion's jump from less than 3% in 2021 to over 30% this year, saying riders learned they could skip buying a fare and pay only $2.50 if they were caught.
- When the change takes effect in February, fare evaders will immediately receive a citation that will cost $25 if they complete a diversion program, and $192 if they don't.
Flashback: The board created the now-reversed policy in 2020, when it was under scrutiny for the disproportionate effect even a small citation can have on low-income residents' lives.
By the numbers: The agency estimated that it was losing about $1 million per month in unpaid fares as riders exploited the policy.
What's next: The MTS board also directed staff to study whether the system should transition to a "closed transit system," the Union-Tribune reported.
- Currently, Trolley stations are open for anyone to enter without passing through turnstiles or other obstructions, with fares enforced by a mix of the honor system and intermittent checks by security.
- A closed system would block riders from physically entering a Trolley platform without first purchasing a fare.