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ChineseFare confusion on Silver Line?
This morning and afternoon, I rode the Silver Line. The morning trip was non-notable for the first day of workday service for the route, aside from an amusing discovery that the bays at El Monte Station don’t accommodate two 45 foot buses at one time, at least not without one bus backing up. Trip time was surprisingly within the stated 59 minutes from El Monte to Artesia Transit Center, although the bus only had a dozen people on it. The driver was proactive in stopping at all Silver Line stops and asking individuals who were just standing around what bus they were catching, and encouraging cash customers to purchase day passes instead of paying for the extra fare and then for the transfer. Metro staff, including high level ones like Transportation Manager John Hillmer, were out directing traffic and staffing booths at El Monte and Artesia, and a few folks in yellow vests were out at some of the other major stops. Of course, when I got to Artesia Transit Center, I witnessed several failed connections as a result of the shortlining (where buses on the Silver Line were “scheduled” to transfer to one of the shortened local buses, but arrived just a minute or two too late), which is annoying for those riders, but unfortunately routine to passengers of Foothill Transit Silver Streak and the former MTA lines 446 and 447 since those lines were shortened some time ago.
After traversing the city, I arrived back at Metro Center at 6:40 pm, where the yellow vests, booths, and other things have disappeared. Unfortunately, I got into an argument with a driver over the Silver Line fare. The Silver Line, for better or worse, has a unique fare structure that benefits the occasional or workday rider and penalizes the daily rider – day passes are valid for full fare on the Silver Line, while all other forms of regular prepaid media (Metrolink passes, EZ transit passes, MTA weekly and monthly passes) are not. The statement in the schedule is clear, and the Silver Line only has one fare. However, the driver stopped the bus for three minutes I stated I would not pay the surcharge, even though I showed a receipt stating that the fare media on my card was a day pass (obtained from using the “validator” mode of a TAP fare machine earlier that day). After keeping the bus stopped for a few more minutes thinking it would make me change my mind (it didn’t, and there were only a few other riders on board so I wasn’t really delaying anyone), he made a snide comment and pulled away.
Two things were more disconcerting, however: the fact that the driver convinced another rider to pay the surcharge, even though I showed her in the schedules which were available on the bus that she did not have to pay the surcharge if she had a day pass, and the fact that 323-GO-METRO, customer information, actually stated back to me when I called to confirm my position that day pass holders had to pay the extra fare – contrary to the information available on the Metro web site. The other customer justified paying it by stating that she was riding on the freeway, so it didn’t apply, which is not true, as the same fare applies whether you are going from Union Station to 7th Street or the entire length of the line.
After I got home I reported the incident to the web site, so I assume that corrective action will follow shortly, but this raises larger issues about the quality of service for the choice rider – since choice riders are likely going to be the ones using the day pass on the Silver Line, to try out the service. With the large potential of missed transfers at each end to previous through service (and the fact that, unlike at other busy intersections where one can cool their heels by grabbing a cup of coffee or a burger, there is not much within walking distance of interest to the transit rider near either El Monte or Artesia), inability for a new rider to get a TAP card at Artesia on site (at least at El Monte one could buy a Foothill TAP card for $7 – $2 for the card and $5 worth of cash credit), and confusion relating to the fare structure, is this enough for the service to fail? Fortunately, the MTA has time to perfect the service in the year before tolling begins on the I-10 and I-110 corridors – but it must address these issues now before drivers decide that paying $6 one way for a toll is better than paying $6 for a day pass (2011 prices) to ride the Silver Line into work.
Have any of you experienced fare issues on the Silver Line, especially occasional riders that use the Day Pass? In the meantime, print out this fare flyer as it could come in handy if you are a day pass holder and the fare information on the schedule doesn’t help you get your point across.
Discussion
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Please keep discussions civil: exercise Troll Controll.
The whole zone system is what kills this line.Biggest pet peeve when i rode any bus on the Transitway. They need to set up ticket machines with shelters on the street running portions and every freeway stattions with the same metro signs they use to indicate rail those really nice ones. Treat this like the orange line. I know downtown is the hard part but I’m sure there are creative ways of doing this. Mini stations of some sort. Also the midday service is rediculous your going to have to tranfer if your going to El Monte to the Artesia transit or vice versa. and other than the commuter express and foothill lines there really shouldn’t be any other buses running on the transitway i.e Gardena,torrance, and any remaining metro lines. Like the 550. use the extra buses not running on the Transitway for more frequent local service going to the transit centers and stations. maybe theres a reason the 550 line is still on the transitway but i never made sense to me especially when trying to get to san pedro. I wished there was a shortline. that went from artesia to san pedro via vermont for better frequency. and dont get me started on the last two stations in the system. talk about missed oppotunities. they could totally run an express bus from long beach via the Vincent thomas to san pedro then to the two under utilized stations (PCH and Carson) and end at the artesia transit center. for a connection from long beach to the south bay. and alternative to the 405. Sort of.
ok went on a rant. All im saying is the Silver line should be exlusive and ran like the orange line. for it to work. improve all the local connections w/ the municipal buslines to all the stations so that making a transfer isn’t such a pain.
It’s actually running? I tried to take it on Sunday but saw no evidence that it was actually in service. No signs at bus stops and no buses.
The 550 would have to be a two-ended shortline, as it provides the San Pedro service on one end, and service to West Hollywood on the other end (thus the 500 series designation not a 400 series). The Silver Line is intended to replace the downtown destined buses on the Harbor Transitway.
I don’t think Metro has the authority to take the Munis off the harbor transitway…
Bus drivers are really hit or miss. I’ve had some deny me boarding on local buses with my Metrolink ticket, only to make me wait for the next bus whose driver let me on without a hitch.
True stations downtown wouldn’t really be hard. San Diego, Sacramento, and Portland (and others I’m sure) have light rail stations with shelters, signs, and ticket machines built into their downtown sidewalks for low-floor light rail trains (see )–if they can do that with no trouble for a train, accommodating a 45-foot bus should be a piece of cake. Hopefully they’ll iron the bugs out of this line as time goes by.
Oops, link didn’t work, here it is:
San Diego Light Rail Station
This is not true. If you have a Metro monthly or EZ pass with an Express Zone 2 sticker on it, there are no extra charges to ride the Silver Line.
I’m sorry, but this whole “Silver Line” is a joke.
BRT may be an improvement in some cases, but this whole rebranding of already existing busways just doesn’t justify an official “color”.
Neither should the “Orange Line” have been given a color until it was upgraded to light rail.
The Day Pass is honored on Silver Line as Full Fares, but whether it is a true or not, it depends on the driver’s personal situation, so if he or she to tell you to pay $1.20, just do it, do not argue with him or her.
The Day Pass is honored on Silver Line as Full Fares, but whether it is a true or not, it depends on the driver’s personal situation, so if he or she tells you to pay $1.20, just do it, do not argue with him or her.
That’s the worst advice you could offer, Joan. I never carry any change on me because I use a TAP card with TAP day passes enabled, or I purchase a TAP day pass at a ticket vending machine with a credit card. While I won’t argue with the driver, I will take my seat and happily ignore him or her. If she wants to call BOC, or LASD, go right ahead. I have been on the Silver Line other times, and to MTA’s credit, I have not seen this happen again.
Rather than rolling over and spending your hard earned cash, if anyone gets into trouble, a friend sent me the Tariff Notice issued to the drivers, and I might as well share it here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/25459419/Tariff-Notice-09-12