Case Study: LA Metro achieves a modern account-based, multimodal fare system with Salesforce

L.A. Metro’s TAP Program is a Trailblazer in building the next-generation, seamless transit experience

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) and its regional TAP transit card program faced a huge mobility challenge: severe congestion in a region of more than 10 million people and a diverse rider base with different needs and payment preferences. Competing with ride‑share services and serving riders across a wide range of schedules, incomes, and tech comfort levels, TAP needed to modernize its customer experience and expand payment and service choices while preserving its fast, reliable card-based hardware.

Rather than replace the existing system, TAP built TAPforce — an engagement layer on Salesforce that turns TAP cards into account‑based profiles, integrates third‑party services (bike share, ride‑share, payment partners), and uses Marketing Cloud and Einstein Analytics for outreach and insights. The platform enables cash loading via PayNearMe, a loyalty program, and seamless third‑party payments; early results include over 1,000 bike‑share registrations on day one and a doubling of TAP website visits, positioning Metro to better incentivize greener, more equitable travel.

LA Metro

Robin O'Hara

Executive Officer responsible