Proposal for Metro rail/busway zone fare system

[bzcat]

I think instead of a full on distance based fare system (e.g Tokyo), we can implement a pretty simple zone based fare that would address some inequality inherent in the current flat $1.50 charge. Here is some basic premise of my idea:

1. Rail and busway (orange + silver) will require zone charge, tap in AND tap out.

2. Regular buses will retain flat charge (no zones) and tap in only.

3. Free transfers inside rail and busway "sterile" zone.

4. Free transfers (or reduced fare) if you tap out of rail/busway and transfer to a bus within a set amount of time (for example 45 minutes which I think is the case in London).

5. There will be a buffer zone of 2 stations between zones so if you begin and end your trip between buffer stations, there is no zone charge. For example if you go from Universal City to Hollywood Vine (2 different zones in my plan), you will only be charged $1.50 not $3.00. 2-station buffer zone is also how London does it (with certain exceptions where you may have 3 station buffer zones).

6. I selected the zones and buffer station in order to preserve the most typical ridership patterns now, except for the Blue line which is too long to fit into my model without breaking up into 2 zones.

7. Downtown LA has a "bubble" zone - once the trains reach 7th Metro from west/south and Union station from north/east, it is in a "bubble". You still pay for travel within the zone but you won't incur an additional zone charge if you go pass Civic Center from another zone. see below

Here are the zones [Updated with some suggestions from the field]:

SFV: Entire length of Orange line plus North Hollywood to Studio City leg of Red line. So basically, you can ride for $1.50 from Warner Center to Universal City... this makes sense if you consider that you can do the same right now on a 750 bus. Free transfer between Red and Orange will require use of TAP card (unless the direct portal is constructed)

Central: Central zone should encompass the most heavily traveled portion of Red and Purple line so basically everything South of Universal City station to Civic Center Mac Arthur Park. The southern boundary could be Florence Expo line. The western boundary of Central zone is TBD... but La Brea or Fairfax may be a good place in the future.

Western: Everything north of Florence Expo line and west of La Cienega for now. This is only theoretical right now because there is no rail service west of La Cienega. But in the future, I think there is a good argument to set the zone at Fairfax on the Purple line because of Crenshaw line, which may cross several zones. Fairfax is also roughly halfway between Santa Monica and Downtown LA. On the Expo line, the zone should stay at La Cienega.

SGV: Everything on the Gold line and Silver line to Civic Center (or Broadway station on the Downtown connector). On the Gold line, the zone stops at Pico/Aliso and Lincoln/Cypress stations. On the Silver line, the zone stops at LAC USC Medical Center.

Southern Gateway: Everything south of Florence Pico Station on the Blue and east of Crenshaw station on Green line. Plus future Crenshaw line (up to Expo).

South Bay: Green line west of Crenshaw station and Crenshaw line to Expo line.

Downtown: The "bubble" is formed by MacArthur station on the Red/Purple, Pico/Aliso and Lincoln/Cypress on the Gold, Grand/23rd st stations on Expo/Blue, LAC USC Medical Center on Silver. Trains entering and exiting Downtown zone will not incur a zone charge. Basically the stations after the one named above form one big transfer zone if you are already in the system. You can freely transfer between any line within the Downtown "bubble" (Pico/7th St/Pershing/Civic Center/Bunker Hill/Broadway/Little Tokyo/Union Station/Chinatown). Transfer to/from Silver line to rail lines will require use of TAP card.

Here is some example of how the fare system would work:

Atlantic to Metro Center
Now: $3.00 (1 transfer)
Zone fare: $1.50 (no transfer - assuming Downtown Connector is completed)
Explanation: Although in 2 different zones (SGV and Central Downtown), Metro Center is within the Downtown "bubble" zone.

Hollywood/Vine to North Hollywood
Now: $1.50
Zone fare: $3.00
Explanation: Central zone to SFV zone

Hollywood Vine to Universal City
Now: $1.50
Zone fare: $1.50
Explanation: Central to SFV zone but within the 2 station buffer zone (Hollywood/Highland, Universal City).

Wilshire/Western to Hollywood/Highland
Now: $3.00 (1 transfer)
Zone fare: $1.50 (1 transfer)
Explanation: The entire trip is within the Central zone

Warner Center to Union Station
Now: $3.00 (1 transfer)
Zone fare: $3.00 (1 transfer)
Explanation: This trip will cross 3 zones (SFV, Central, Downtown) but Union Station is in the Downtown "bubble" zone.

Long Beach Transit Mall to 7th St Metro Center
Now: $1.50 (no transfer)
Zone fare: $3.00 $1.50 (no transfer)
Explanation: This one sucks for long time riders but the argument is that they've had it real good for a long time. Same as now. Train crossed from Gateway zone to Downtown zone but it is in the "bubble".

Jefferson/La Cienega to Sierra Madre Villa
Now: $4.50 (2 transfers)
Zone fare: $3.00 (1 transfer)
Explanation: Central zone to Downtown zone to SGV zone but no zone charge for crossing Downtown. If you start the trip in Culver City, then it will be $4.50, same as now.

El Monte station to Century City
Now: $3.95 (1 transfer - Silver line to 728)
Zone fare: $4.50 (1 transfer assuming the purple line is extended)
Explanation: Crosses 4 zones (SGV to Downtown to Central to Western) but no charge for crossing Downtown zone. Works out to be about the same cost as now but much faster ride.

Union Station to 7th St Metro Center
Now: $1.50
Zone fare: $1.50
Explanation: No change from now but we will have choice of 3 different routes (Red/Purple, Expo/Blue, and Silver) that will all have the same charge. Plus regular Metro buses.

Comments and suggestions welcome!

[macross287]

I like this idea. But I was thinking that south LA could be split up into two zones, Gateway Cities and South Bay kind of like how the service councils, www.metro.net/riding_metro/maps/images/sector_map.pdf, are setup with some modifications so the blue line does not straddle back and fourth between the two zones. That way the green line traverses at least two zones as well.

Personally speaking I would like Union Station, Little Tokyo, and Chinatown to still be part of the Downtown Region/ Central Zone. I would move the SGV/East LA zone east of the LA river.

[bzcat]

Technically, my plan has a "Downtown zone" all by itself but it doesn't incur zone charges if you cross into the Downtown "bubble" so you could move the SGV border to Union station instead of Civic Center and it wouldn't make any difference. Ditto Central zone to MacArthur Park instead of Civic Center.

As for separating South Bay and Gateway into different zones, I'm open to the idea. If we have a "Gateway" zone, the Blue line can be in a zone by itself, which will still maintain the $1.50 single ride. But if someone goes from Long Beach to El Segundo will incur a $3.00 charge. Not all that different from now. But someone going from Norwalk to Redondo will get shafted... it's kind of the reverse of the Blue line getting split into 2 zones. Some one will end up paying more

[James Fujita]

one major advantage of electronic fare payment is that it really opens up a whole lot of possibilities for bubbles and zones that would be a lot more confusing IF human beings had to do all of the fare calculations by themselves (instead of just TAPping).

I would think that you could quite a bit of overlap in the bubbles. that is, stations that are near the "edge" of the downtown bubble would overlap like points in set theory.

Theoretically, a LACMA/ Fairfax station could count as both Western for trips from Westwood area or Central for trips from Koreatown. but Westwood to Koreatown would still count as two bubbles.

[bzcat]

You are correct James. My initial post include 2 station buffer zone between zones so if you are going from Hollywood/Highland to North Hollywood (or La Brea to Western assuming Fairfax is the cutoff point), you will not incur a zone charge.

I will modify the first post to be more clear. Thanks