Important Information About Your New Cityride Card
Cityride is the City of Los Angeles transportation service program for individuals aged 65 or older and qualified disabled persons. Cityride’s taxi and Dial-A-Ride services are provided in the City of Los Angeles and limited areas of Los Angeles County. Cityride participants who have Metro Senior or LACTOA Disabled TAP cards can also purchase Metro Monthly Passes for Metro bus and rail services through the Cityride Program.
Beginning October 1, 2009, all Cityride users must use the new Cityride Card to pay for their transportation services (Taxi and/or Dial-a-Ride). This guide will help you understand the benefits of the card and how to use it.
- What is the Cityride Card?
- How Does the Card Work?
- How do I Purchase a Metro Monthly Pass?
- What if You Use Only Taxi and Cityride Dial-A-Ride Service?
- What if I Use A Combination of Taxis, Cityride Dial-A-Ride and Metro?
- Will All Taxis in Los Angeles Accept the Cityride Card for Payment?
- What Happens If I Lose My Cityride Card?
- How do I Know How Much Value I Have Left?
- Where Can I Get Information About Metro Monthly Passes and the Metro Senior/ Disabled TAP Card?
- Have Further Questions?
- Glossary of Terms
What is the Cityride Card?
The Cityride card is a reusable plastic card that replaces Cityride scrip (stickers/coupons) beginning October 1, 2009. You must send in your quarterly payment to activate your Cityride Card. The Cityride Card acts just like a debit card allowing you to use its fare value to pay for Cityride taxi and Dial-A-Ride service. The card never expires and should last several years with normal use.
How Does the Card Work?
Within ten days of placing your order and your payment being processed, Cityride loads $84 in fare value onto your Cityride Card. If you purchase Metro Monthly Passes only, you will not use the Cityride Card at this time. Beginning January 2010, Cityride will have Metro electronically load your Monthly Passes onto your Senior/Disabled TAP card. The Cityride system keeps track of your use and payment for Cityride services in your Cityride account.
Cityride will only refund completely unused fare value ($84). Cityride cannot refund partially used fare value.
On taxi and Dial-A-Ride trips, you present your Cityride Card and government-issued ID to the driver who will verify your identity and your Cityride Card.
For taxi trips, you must present your Cityride Card before the start of your trip. If you do not do this, you may have to pay for your trip in cash. The system may not accept your Cityride Card for payment at the end of your trip if it is not swiped at the beginning of your trip.
For Metro bus riders, you will show your pass as usual to the driver, or tap your Metro Senior/Disabled TAP Card (if you already have one) onto the Tap Card reader.
How do I Purchase a Metro Monthly Pass?
When you send in your check to Cityride to order a Metro Monthly Pass for Metro rail and bus service, you need to write your Code ID number or the last 8 digits of your Cityride Card and the word “PASS” on the memo line of your check. Cityride will have Metro electronically load your Monthly Pass onto your Metro Senior/Disabled TAP Card beginning January 2010. You may buy up to six (6) consecutive months of Metro Monthly Passes with $84 of fare value. When you place your order with Cityride, indicate how many Metro Monthly Passes you want (from 1 to 6) and the first month that you would like your consecutive Monthly Passes to begin.
What if You Use Only Taxi and Cityride Dial-A-Ride Service?
If you only want taxi and/or Dial-A-Ride service, write your Code ID number or the last 8 digits of your Cityride Card number and the word “Taxi/DAR” on the memo line of your check or money order. Cityride will electronically load the entire $84 in fare value into your Cityride account.
What if I Use A Combination of Taxis, Cityride Dial-A-Ride and Metro?
If you use a combination of taxis, Cityride Dial-A-Ride and Metro bus/rail service, you need to write on your check/money order’s memo line your Code ID number or the last 8 digits of your Cityride Card number and how many Metro Monthly Passes you will need and what month they should start. Cityride will have Metro electronically load that number of Monthly Passes onto your Senior/Disabled TAP Card and Cityride will load the remaining balance of your $84 in fare value into your Cityride account for Taxi and/or Dial-A-Ride use. For example, if you need two Metro Monthly Passes beginning in February, write your Code ID number or the last 8 digits of your Cityride Card number and “PASS 02 Feb.” Cityride and Metro will then load your February and March Monthly Passes on your Senior/Disabled TAP Card and the remaining balance of $56 in fare value will go into your Cityride account to use for Taxi and Dial-A-Ride services.
Will All Taxis in Los Angeles Accept the Cityride Card for Payment?
No. Only taxicabs operated by companies that are franchised and permitted by the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation will accept the Cityride Card. You can identify the permitted cabs because they have a City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation Taxicab seal on their front doors. Cityride participants should not ride illegal or bandit taxicabs that do not have the seal.
What Happens If I Lose My Cityride Card?
If you lose your Cityride Card, call Cityride immediately at (213, 310, 323, 818) 808-7433 and report the lost or stolen card. Cityride will promptly de-activate the lost card and transfer the balance to a replacement card. A new replacement Cityride Card will be issued (at no charge for the first time) with a new card number and the fare value balance transferred (if any). Issuance of replacement cards more than once will incur a $5.00 fee.
How do I Know How Much Value I Have Left?
If you ride the taxis, the taxi driver will provide you with a payment receipt, which shows the fare and the remaining balance on your Cityride Card. If you ride Cityride Dial-A-Ride or Metro buses or trains, you may check your Cityride account balance and ordered Metro passes at: https://farepayments.cityride.net/balance.
To log on to this website, you will need the last 8 digits of your Cityride Card number (from your blue and white Cityride card) and your date of birth or Cityride Code ID.
Where Can I Get Information About Metro Monthly Passes and the Metro Senior/ Disabled TAP Card?
For information about Metro Service, call Metro Customer Service at (213) 680-0054, the TAP Service Center at 866 TAPTOGO (827-8646), visit metro.net/reducedfares or call Access Services at (800) 883-1295.
Have Further Questions?
Call Cityride from any Los Angeles Region area code by dialing (213, 310, 323 or 818) 808-7433 or by visiting ladottransit.com.
Glossary of Terms
Cityride The City of Los Angeles transportation service program for people aged 65 or older and those qualified people with disabilities.
Eligible Cityride Participant Those who are enrolled in the Cityride Program who have presented proof of age or disability, making it possible for them to use program services.
The Cityride Card A plastic card similar in size and use to a credit or debit card. The pre-paid card contains the loaded fare value that gets deducted from your account each time you use it to pay for Cityride services.
Metro Senior/Disabled TAP Card A plastic reusable card from Metro’s TAP Reduced Fare Card Program. TAP (Transit Access Pass) cards are replacing all Metro paper passes and stamps.
Metro Monthly Pass A monthly pass issued by Metro that allows a Cityride participant to ride Metro services an unlimited number of times during a calendar month at a reduced fare.
Dial-A-Ride Service A service of the Cityride Program that is provided with vans or small buses that pick up eligible participants. This is a curb-to-curb service.
Taxi Service A service of the Cityride Program that is provided by taxi companies licensed and permitted by the City of Los Angeles. Licensed and permitted taxis carry the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation Taxicab seal on their doors.
Scrip (Stickers/Coupons) The form of payment previously used for Cityride services. These were pieces of paper issued to Cityride participants once each quarter that are now replaced by the Cityride Card.
Code ID Number Unique identification numbers assigned to each Cityride participant that never changes.
Card Number This is not your Code ID number. These are the 16-digit Cityride Card numbers also used for identifying the cardholder. These numbers may change as cards are replaced when lost or stolen.
Card Swipe When the taxi driver runs your Cityride card through a reader type device in a taxi.
Remaining Balance The amount of fare value left in your Cityride account.