Sabha, Tamer
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Tuesday, April 14, 2026 2:47 PM
Sabha, Tamer; Gao, Beilei; Diaz, Eligio
COMMENT For PS Committee April 15 -- Matters Not on the Agenda Learn why this is important
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Dear Chair (Vice Mayor) Rivas and Public Safety Committee members:
I have two comments and suggestions for issues the PS Committee may want to consider.
1. First, as a Pasadena resident and Metro transit rider, I urge the PS Committee to seek information from Metro on how many fare enforcement checks are being conducted on LA Metro buses and the A line in Pasadena.
This is a matter of safety and security. Unfortunately, for many riders like me the LA Metro network, both bus and rail, is not always a pleasant experience. As of last year, according to the USC Barometer Survey, roughly two thirds of riders believed LA Metro was unsafe. While reality may be different, it is the perception that matters.
In this case, perception matches reality: There are too many persons riding who do not pay fares and who engage in anti-social or even dangerous behavior.
According to research, Metro has reduced fare checks by 98% since 2018. Before Fall 2018, LA Metro Transit Security Officers (TSOs) did over 300,000 onboard fare checks per month. Well before Covid, Metro had effectively ceased systematic fare checks. In 2025, Metro TSOs only did 5,000 per month.
As a result, fares today are effectively optional, and too many riders are not paying.
Metro's own data shows most crime on the system is committed by non-paying riders.
Some homeless people use transit as shelter during the day, riding trains or buses all day. Riders with mental health issues abound. Here in Pasadena, we have seen several horrific assaults at or near A line stations.
Systematic fare checks would help address these challenges and improve security.
Route proof-of-payment checks of all passengers is a best practice. Progressive jurisdictions can and do step up routine proof-of-payment fare checks on all riders.
Denver's RTD conducted over 300,000 fare checks per month in 2025, a 500 percent increase since 2024. They did this with 100 officers.
1 If Metro TSOs were tasked to conduct onboard proof-of-payment validations of TAP cards across the system, a modest rate of 20 cards an hour per TSO could result in checking over 20,000 riders a day (600,000 a month) with existing staff. What's preventing this from being done? Aside from the security and safety benefits, fare enforcement would protect Metro revenue, providing millions for service improvements.
For those of us who pay our fares, fare enforcement is also a matter of equity and fairness.
Fairness for farepayers.
I urge the Committee to direct staff to ask LA Metro how many fare enforcement checks are being conducted in Pasadena, and whether there is a plan and timeline to increase that number. Even better, invite Metro staff to present this information in a public presentation at a future PS Committee meeting.
2. Second, I raised at the April 7 meeting of the Legislative Policy Committee the potential for safety and revenue gains from the use of traffic enforcement cameras.
SB 720, with took effect last October, allows any city in California to now install red-light cameras. AB 645, signed in 2023, created a pilot project authorizing a few cities to operate speed cameras, although Pasadena is currently not included in that legislation.
As Council member Madison knows all too well, here in District 6 we have a considerable problem with excessive speed by vehicles coming off the 710 stub onto St. Johns and Pasadena Avenue, as well along the Arroyo Parkway, Fair Oaks, and Orange Grove.
As both a pedestrian and a driver, I witness red light running and speeding daily, and it's scary.
I won't belabor my point here, but speed cameras - and red light cameras - would give a definite boost to safety, and I would urge the PS Committee to take this issue up. At a minimum, I would urge that the existing Flock camera system be extended for use with traffic offenses.
Thank you for all your work to make Pasadena safe.
Respectfully,
P.A. Brown
District 6
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