L.A. Residents Feel The Pressure of Increased Metro Fares

There are also new fares for day, weekly and monthly passes. However, day passes will increase from $5 to $7.  Weekly passes will rise to $25 from $20, and a 30-day pass will increase to $100 from $75.  

Senior citizens are also being hit by the changes. The fares for people over 62 years old will increase by 20 cents for peak hours and 10 cents for off-peak hours.

The new changes are part of a larger effort to remodel the transit system in Los Angeles. In the last year, five lines have been under construction but some residents are not happy about the fare jump. 

But there are ways that riders can save money. Metro officials say riders can receive two hours of free transfers when paying with TAP cards.

Passengers who use the re-loadable cards will be able to transfer to other Metro buses and rail lines without having to pay a new fare when they board. The new transfer only applies to one-way trips. Metro officials say more than half of all transit riders make transfers. They believe it will help riders keep some extra cash in their pockets. Riders can purchase the TAP cards for $1 at TAP vending machines, which may cause problems for riders who only have cash.

For now, officials will be selling the cards at bus stops that do not have a TAP vending machine. Transit riders can also purchase the cards online.

Here's a breakdown of some of Metro's new changes:

Metro