2019 LADOT TAP Cards Blue Grid & Golden Ticket!

LADOT released these two TAP Cards- the Blue Grid and The Golden Ticket (these are my names for them.  I do not know if they have an official name.) back in 2015 or 2016.  They sold out quickly.

At Ciclavia on June 30, 2019, LADOT had a table and I asked if they had any TAP Cards for sale.  They show me all the TAP Cards they have, and I see both the blue grid and golden ticket.  So I buy them.  I turn them over, and notice they have a white back.  On the back of the originals there was black stripe on the top.

I don't know when exactly LADOT re-released these two TAP Cards, but I'm glad they did!  I like both designs!!

Now they just need to do a re-release of the LA skyline with the orange background!

2018 LADOT Tap Cards-Orange LA & Blue Palm Tree

On July 9, 2018 LADOT showed their two newest TAP Cards on their Instagram page.  The TAP Card at the top, I'll call the Orange LA and the bottom TAP Card, I'll call it the Blue LA Palm Tree.  I love the orange LA but the Blue LA Palm Tree is boring.  


I waited until Tuesday July 10th to pick up these two TAP cards.  I went to the Highland Park Farmer's Market and they had a table there.  I was able to buy both TAP Cards without any issues!!  Very nice to see, because with their Griffith Park TAP card I wasted a trip to one of their mobile sites.

These two TAP cards are the 9th and 10th TAP Cards issued by LADOT.  I have 7 of the 10!  The other TAP Cards released by LADOT are the already mentioned Griffith Park TAP Card.  I got these three LADOT TAP Cards, Gray LA, Blue Downtown LA, and Green Swirl.  The Let's Fig it Out TAP Card that was released earlier in 2018.

I am missing these three TAP Cards!  I would like to add them to my collection.  If you have these three LADOT TAP Cards, contact me and let's work out a trade!

2018 LADOT Let's Fig It Out

I called LADOT to complain about a DASH bus driver who said people weren't able to use a Metro TAP card on the DASH bus.  Hey, idiot bus driver, as long as the Metro TAP card has stored value on the card, anybody can use the Metro TAP card.  The DASH bus will deduct 35 cents from the stored value.

Anyways, just as I was about to hang out, I asked what TAP cards are they selling.  The operator told me they have a new yellow TAP card.  It's the Let's Fig it Out TAP card to celebrate Figueroa and the tremendous amount of development on Figueroa, that really started when Staples Center was built.

I went to the LADOT store at the LA Mall and purchased this new TAP card with no problems!! TAP Cards sold at the LADOT store are $1 if you add value or $2 without value.  Since for some stupid reason, you can only add in $5 increments, I just paid the $2. 

I like this TAP card. It's not dark and boring like the two Metro TAP cards released in 2018; Happy 25th Birthday Metro and the 25th Anniversary of the Red Line.

2017 LADOT-Griffith Park Observatory TAP Card

TRADE- I have an extra Griffith Park Observatory TAP Card to trade. 

On Tuesday, September 19th, LADOT posted information about their new TAP card, the Griffith Park Observatory TAP Card, on their Instagram page!  They said that the Griffith Park Observatory TAP cards go on sale that day!  LADOT has a mobile team that sets up at libraries and farmer's markets so people can buy or reload TAP cards.  One time I was at a farmer's market and noticed the mobile team step.  I wanted to reload my TAP card, but they were having trouble with their generator, so they asked me to come back in a few minutes until their machine was warmed up.  I came back and they told me their generator died!  I saw an extension cord at an empty table and asked if they could take the machine to that table.  We went to the table and I was able to reload my TAP card.  But, damn come on!  Make sure your equipment is working when you go to these mobile sites!!

So LADOT was going to be at a library in Boyle Heights on Sept. 19th, the day the Griffith Park TAP cards came out!  I went to the library and saw their mobile team.  They said they didn't have the Griffith Park TAP cards!  Hell, both workers didn't know about the Griffith Park Observatory TAP cards until I told them about it!! WTF??  Get a damn clue LADOT!  I mean when you say the new TAP cards go on sale today, get them out at the mobile set ups!  LADOT is as lame as Metro when issuing new TAP cards!

I called the next day to complain and the lame excuse I got was that there was a problem getting the TAP cards to the mobile team!  WTF?

During the call I wanted to make sure that the Griffith Park Observatory TAP Cards were in stock at their transit store at the LA Mall.  They operator reassured me they were.  But, I told her, LADOT also said they TAP cards would be at their mobile locations yesterday and they weren't.  So, I go to the LADOT transit store and sure enough the beautiful Griffith Park Observatory TAP Cards are available!

I really like the design, and the Griffith Park Observatory is such an iconic view of Los Angeles! 

Wanted- LADOT TAP Cards

I am looking to trade for the bottom two TAP cards, the cards I call "blue bus grid" and the "brown Downtown" and the middle left TAP card, I call it the "orange Downtown LA" issued by LADOT! 

On LADOT Instagram page, they kept posting pictures of TAP cards that are not longer for sale.  Every time I see that, I will ask them if they are selling the TAP cards pictured.  They respond with a no.  Then I respond with- it would be very easy to post a picture of the TAP cards you are selling instead of using the same picture over and over again.  

I am hoping to trade for any of the three TAP cards.  Is there a TAP card that I have, that you need to complete your collection?  Let's work out a trade!  I have an extra AARP TAP Card and 2017 Olympics Bid for 2024 TAP card.

When trading I want clean, mint condition TAP cards, that means no scratches or fading of the TAP card.  I want the TAP card to have a no stored value and in working condition- meaning I can add fare to the TAP card! The TAP cards I have to trade are in clean mint condition and have nothing in stored value!

LADOT TAP Cards

On social media I found out that LADOT, the agency that operates the DASH Buses in LA, issued their own TAP cards!  I was able to acquire these three TAP cards by going to a the El Sereno Library when LADOT's Outreach team was selling and reloading TAP cards.  Each TAP card costs $1, if you load fare or $2 without loading fare.

I love the bottom card, the Downtown LA green swirl, the best!  Just a bright colorful TAP card.  Luckily, the outreach team found a small number of these TAP cards.  They are currently only selling the top two cards- grey LA and blue Downtown LA.