The LA Subway system in the news

[OCGuy81]

Apparently, the era of an honor system for tickets and the "nobody pays in LA" mentality is coming to an end as the city approved adding gates, similar to other cities.  Losses are estimated around $7mm per year with the current system.

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_20708852/cheaters-pony-up-la-subways-honor-system-ending

And also in the news today, those kids of 90201 better get ready for the subway to run under their high school.   After a prolonged battle, looks like this has been approved.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/24/beverly-hills-subway_n_1543730.html

[Alps]

Wonder how the Newark, NJ honor system does - there's a big fine if you get caught without the proper ticket, but I only once had my ticket checked in several trips. I think you need slightly more enforcement than that.

[mgk920]

Wonder how the Newark, NJ honor system does - there's a big fine if you get caught without the proper ticket, but I only once had my ticket checked in several trips. I think you need slightly more enforcement than that.

Any heavier enforcement and the added labor cost would exceed the savings of not installing turnstiles or fareboxes.  I agree, for 'heavy rail' subways and elevateds, use turnstiles and for buses and trams/'LRT', on-board fareboxes.

Mike

[kphoger]

I've only used two subway/elevated systems that operate on the honor system:
In Saint Louis (approx. 2002), enforcement seemed to be pretty regular–you could tell everybody expected to have their tickets checked.
In Warsaw (approx. 1999), enforcement was quite thin, but I was told people were scared enough of the penalty that not many people cheated.

[TheStranger]

Sacramento's Regional Transit light rail operates on the honor system, with security guards sent in for enforcement at semi-random intervals.

[Bickendan]

TriMet's (Portland) MAX (Light Rail), WES (Commuter Rail) and StreetCar all use the honor system. They really shouldn't, IMO.

[realjd]

It seems like I've been on more transit systems without ticket barriers than I have with.

The most annoying is systems like London's where most stations have ticket barriers but a handful don't. I've paid penalty fares on more than one occasion because I forgot to hunt for the Oyster card reader to tap in/out at barrierless stations.

[SSOWorld]

Metra in the Chicagoland area enforces tickets regularly.  There's a little clip on the seat in front of you or - for upper level - the edge of the floor. and you are expected to put your ticket/pass there so the conductor (1 per car) can acknowledge your payment.

[Zmapper]

The Light Rail in Denver works on the honor system. I have only had my ticket checked once in the dozen or so times that I have used it, but I hear that tickets are checked quite often during rush hours.

Personally, the busier bus routes (0, 0L, 15, 15L, 30, 31, 43, possibly others) should switch to a "pay at the front if you have cash, board at any door if you have a pass" model. It takes a loooooong time to board a full articulated bus at busy stops, and anything that speeds the boarding helps.

I hear that SFMTA is implementing all door boarding on all of their lines this summer, so the concept isn't that foreign.

[kphoger]

Metra in the Chicagoland area enforces tickets regularly.  There's a little clip on the seat in front of you or - for upper level - the edge of the floor. and you are expected to put your ticket/pass there so the conductor (1 per car) can acknowledge your payment.

Ah, yes, I wasn't considering MetRa when I was thinking about subway/elevated systems.  It's hard to know where to draw the line between a subway and Amtrak....  I'm ashamed to admit I used to pretend to be asleep on MetRa so the conductor would pass me by without selling me a ticket.  What a tool, huh?