Santa Monica City Council
April 12, 2022

Contactless Fare Pilot Initiatives - 2021
 Temporarily reduced one ride fare pricing on contactless fare payment systems  Passenger surveys at the beginning, middle and latter part of the pilot to gain feedback  Examination of the fare policies, fare collection procedures, and fare systems in response to feedback
 Title VI analysis on the pilot, and on the fare proposal, to assess impacts on minority and low income communities
 Bilingual public outreach, including 2000 hours of in person outreach to riders, print media, audio announcements, banner messaging on mobile ticketing and website, and a map of TAP reload locations.
 Partnering with contactless fare media partners to ensure that distribution networks and communications supported riders in adapting to contactless media  Installation of ticket vending machines at two new locations, LAX Transit Center and Rimpau Transit Center to increase supply of locations for TAP card reload.  Distributed 9,500 free thirty-day passes on contactless fare media to introduce passengers to contactless fares and reduce apprehension.  Added Customer Service staff to provide one on one assistance to vulnerable riders in adapting to contactless fares
 Assisting unbanked and underbanked passengers in understanding alternate ways to pay their fare, by communicating through print messaging and one on one help at the transit store.
 Messaging that promoted the existing long-standing policy that no one is refused a ride for lack of fare
 Promotion of regional fare discounts to new contactless fare users, and reimbursement of the cost of passport photo required for regional Senior reduced fare TAP card  Invited customers with paper passes to exchange them for contactless fares  Assessed the financial, operational, and efficiency outcomes of the pilot  Worked with Santa Monica College to transition the Any Line Any Time pass from a paper pass, which required touching the farebox, to instead using TAP contactless fare media.