Los Angeles Metro plans to open the Line A extension from Azusa to Pomona to the public on Friday, September 19, at noon. As part of the grand opening, all Metro bus, rail, Metro Micro, and bikeshare services will be free from Friday, the 19th, to Sunday, the 21st. Celebrations are scheduled at the four new stations from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring food trucks and live music.
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TriMet to close Skidmore Fountain MAX Station in Aug 24
As part of the planned service changes on August 24, TriMet will close the Skidmore Fountain MAX Station in Downtown Portland. This closure follows other downtown station closures that began in 2020, including Kings Hill/SW Salmon, Mall/SW 4th Ave, and Mall/SW 5th Ave stations. The primary reasons for the closure are low ridership and the need to speed up service through downtown. The closure will also be necessary during the replacement construction of the Burnside Bridge, now planned to begin in 2028.
Nearby stations remain open for service: Old Town/Chinatown Station, two blocks north, and Oak St/SW 1st Ave Station, four blocks south.
BART introduces Tap and Ride, allowing payment with contactless credit and debit cards
On August 20, BART introduces “Tap and Ride,” allowing contactless credit and debit cards, as well as mobile payment systems like Apple Pay and Google Pay, for fare payment. This simplifies the previous process where riders had to purchase a Clipper card at stations or set up a Clipper account on their phones. With this new system, riders can pay by simply tapping their credit or debit card at the Clipper reader when entering and exiting the faregates.
Currently, the “Tap and Ride” scheme is available only on BART and for full adult fares. Riders planning to transfer to other transit systems should continue using the Clipper card or app. Those eligible for discount fares should apply for senior, youth, or disabled (RTC) discount Clipper cards, which require verification.
With “Tap and Ride,” there are some changes for current Clipper card users. Previously, Clipper users could tap with their wallet. Now, riders should remove their Clipper card and tap separately if other cards are in their wallet to avoid interference with the readers. For those using Clipper on Apple Pay, “Express Mode” should be selected so transit fare payment defaults to the Clipper card automatically. Like the Clipper card and previously the magnetic BART fare card, each rider should use a separate card or phone to enter and exit the fare gates. The same card or phone must be used for both entry and exit.
Additionally, with contactless card payment, riders have a 30-minute window to tap out of the same station to avoid an excursion fare in case of service disruptions. This feature is not available with Clipper until the Clipper 2.0 system fully rolls out.
“Tap and Ride” open payment is a highly anticipated feature promised by the Clipper 2.0 project, which aims to modernize a fare payment system based on aging 2000s-era technology. Those features will eventually be rolled out to other transit agencies. Beyond the Bay Area, the State of California is assisting other transit agencies statewide accept contactless card payments through the California Integrated Travel Project.
Santa Monica Big Blue Bus cancels rapid routes
On August 10, Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus discontinued rapid routes R3 and R7 as part of the “Brighter Blue” service plan, which focused on boosting local service frequencies while reducing or eliminating parallel rapid routes. This followed a similar trend with LA Metro, which over the past six years has reduced its extensive Metro Rapid network to just three routes.
BART to adjust schedules on Aug 11 to improve transfers
On Monday, August 11, BART will implement minor schedule changes to improve transfers with connecting transit systems. While the basic frequencies remain largely the same, the times have shifted. With the new schedules, connection times between mainline trains and DMU eBART at Pittsburg/Bay Point will be reduced, and connections at Millbrae with Caltrain will be more reliable.
This is one of several initiatives BART and other agencies have undertaken to boost ridership in the post-COVID era. Although coordinated schedules between transit agencies are highly desirable, it takes months of staff work to share draft schedules and collaborate with labor groups to ensure all changes occur on the same weekend.
Strongly advocated by rider interest groups like Seamless Bay Area, coordinating schedules is one of the most cost-effective ways to boost transit ridership with minimal costs, as it doesn’t necessarily require additional operating resources. It significantly reduces wait times and overall travel time for riders.