UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies

The intercity and intercounty public systems in the Southern California region still need to be fully integrated, which presents challenges to riders, like paying fares and accessing fare discounts, receiving real-time travel information, and making seamless intermodal transfers. Los Angeles County alone has 26 municipal transit agencies. Los Angeles Metro's (Metro) position as the primary and largest transit agency serving Los Angeles gives it the influence to lead integration efforts. Outside of Los Angeles County, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), and Metrolink operate services that provide transit access between LA County and destinations in the Southern California region. Yet, the organization of these transit providers creates a complex transit system governance structure that challenges coordination across operators –limited coordination results in a fragmented regional transit system that can confuse riders and operators. The report uses responses from interviews with LA Metro, Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, and Caltrans employees and data from the 2022 Metro Customer Survey Study and Metrolink 2022 Rider Survey to analyze the barriers to fare integration. After reviewing data and exploring case studies of integrated transit systems worldwide, this report recommends three actions that LA Mero can consider to enhance fare integration and create seamless transfers between intercity and intercounty transit providers. (1) Establish Initiatives for Equitable Fare Policies, (2) Analyze Current Governance Structures and; (3) Enhance Physical Infrastructure at Transit Station Areas.