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It's October 1 - the first day of Metro's student "fareless" pilot program. Except it kind of isn't.
Day 1 of @metrolosangeles student fareless pilot. Tapped my daughter’s (LAUSD elementary school) student pass and Metro deducted $1. Metro website says LAUSD students free. pic.twitter.com/Z9FAygJXu1
My daughter just happens to be an LAUSD elementary school student. Even though the process for getting a student TAP card is somewhat cumbersome, she has one. Earlier today, I figured I would see for myself how the free student pilot was working, so I walked to the nearest Metro station and tapped my daughter's student TAP card. Metro deducted a dollar from the card... so existing LAUSD student TAP card holders can't ride free - yet. (Since the early days of COVID-19, Metro buses have been free for everyone - though that is set to end on January 10, 2022.)
...students ride transit without the worry of paying fare
Students attending participating schools can ride Metro and other participating systems wherever they need to go – to and from school, and for trips after school and on weekends, with no requirements on days or times for use
But the new fareless initiative requires students to obtain a student TAP card... and the page has no information for students or their parents on how to actually go about riding Metro for free.
Streetsblog has an email inquiry in to Metro about how and when LAUSD student free rides will work. Streetsblog will update this post when Metro responds.
At presstime Friday afternoon, Metro tweeted that "students will receive a special FSI TAP card from their participating school and register it on the FSI Web Portal following the instructions in the materials provided with the cards." No word on who students or parents should inquire to at their LAUSD school.
@StreetsblogLA Hi, students will receive a special FSI TAP card from their participating school and register it on the FSI Web Portal following the instructions in the materials provided with the cards.
Artesia is not some kind of bike paradise (yet), but the city is already surpassing its surrounding neighbors with new bike lanes, green pavement treatments, a new bike path, and more on the way
Literal "not in my backyard" neighbor opposition hampered the creation of the E/Expo Line light rail, and the current push to close the E Line bike path gap