Metro unveils TAP cards you can wear on your wrist

The wearable tech craze hasn’t quite taken the nation by storm, but that’s not stopping Metro from experimenting with a new fare system that allows riders to pay with a swipe-able wristband.

LAist got the scoop on the new bit of technology, which was on display Wednesday at a Metro committee meeting. The wristband would be used in lieu of the agency’s reloadable TAP cards, which allow holders to board buses and trains belonging to any of LA County’s 26 transportation agencies.

The device is less of a fashion statement than a potentially helpful tool for riders with disabilities. Metro spokesman Rick Jager tells LAist the wristbands, designed by Oberthur Technologies, are now being tested by a group of 20 to 25 passengers with disabilities.

Meanwhile, Streetsblog LA says the agency is continuing to look into the possibility of instituting a mobile phone-based payment system—something riders of Southern California’s Metrolink trains are already lucky enough to enjoy.

• Metro Is Testing Out Wearable TAP Card Wristbands [LAist]
• There's Now One Card to Pay For Every Transit Ride in Los Angeles County [Curbed LA]
• Metrolink Tickets Now Available On Your Phone Via App [Curbed LA]
• How and where to buy a Metro TAP card ahead of time [Curbed LA]