Cheaters, beware: LA subway honor system could end

[April 27, 2012]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A vote to end the unusual honor system used on the Los Angeles subway and light-rail system has been put off.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Marc Littman says the vote that was scheduled for Thursday has been postponed until a May meeting while further details of implementing the new system are developed.

Most board members have expressed support for the plan, saying that the practice of only occasionally checking riders for tickets costs the system as much as $7 million annually.

The plan outlined by Metro officials had gate locking beginning with subway stations in July, then moving on to the larger light rail system.

Gate-locking experiments at 10 stations last year showed many passengers weren't bothering to pay. Ticket purchases rose by 68 percent during the tests.

[Associated Press]

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