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What with fare hikes, token booth closings, and the crazy budget gap looming, the MTA is MTA is considering bringing smart cards to our subways and buses. Gothamist liked how the area newspapers tried to make it easier for people to understand what smart cards were by comparing them to E-Z Pass or Mobil Speedpass - cards with a microchip that stores information. The upside of Smart Card is that it would take one sixth of the time to go through turnstiles and pass bus fareboxes. Smart Cards also require less maintenance, and even though the set-up expenses are high. Also, Smart Cards last longer (up to five years, versus the MetroCards which expire or are invalid, depending on what kind of MetroCards you get). Newsday reports that the MTA put aside almost $44 million towards the testing out Smart Cards, though some worry the "tepid support" around the effort might make doom the project. Gothamist hopes that we can use Smart Cards one day, because swiping through the turnstile and not realizing the card wasn't read correctly can hurt.
Smart Card technology is already used in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, not to mention the PATH. And in Hong Kong, their smart card for the subway and bus systems, the Octopus Card, can be used to buy goods, like bread from the bakery by the subway station. How Stuff Works on smart cards.
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I see this as just another attempt by the government to track our movements by using the promise of better efficiency. Resist!
Sshhh.. they're reading this right now.
This will never happen. Believe it or not, the Port Authority has been working on this for years (and has spent a fortune). Believe it or not, the MTA makes so much money off MetroCard because of what they call 'The Float' that they'll never let something more efficient in there. Plus, the company that built the MetroCard System (Cubic) is doing its best to keep anything from happening. Sadly, it's just another case where a good idea (yes there are privacy issues) are killed because of some big companies greed or silly politics.
This will never happen. Believe it or not, the Port Authority has been working on this for years (and has spent a fortune). Believe it or not, the MTA makes so much money off MetroCard because of what they call 'The Float' that they'll never let something more efficient in there. Plus, the company that built the MetroCard System (Cubic) is doing its best to keep anything from happening. Sadly, it's just another case where a good idea (yes there are privacy issues) are killed because of some big companies greed or silly politics. Sure is a good thing that the cost of public transportation continues to increase.
Its unwise to create a system that can be used to keep track of individuals movements. Our privacy is increasingly being eroded in the interest of convenience and "security" and this disturbs me greatly.
JT
I've often thought they should at the very least CHARGE you for your metrocard, so tons of the plastic critters don't clog the tracks and the sewers. And what's up with the fact that you can't refill a monthly card? And is there a more poorly designed device than the metrocard vending machine?
The MTA can track you using metrocard swipes as well... but with smartcards, you may be able to purchase them without having to register any information (as is done in Hong Kong), which would make your presence untraceable.
Given that the MTA handles over 1 million passengers a day, you think they would have the resources to mine that data to track individual movements?
We have these (SmarTrip) on the Metro in Washington, DC now -- they do a good job at keeping people moving through the faregates. I definitely notice a slowdown when folks (even experienced locals) have to feed their card through the machine. They recently added the SmarTrip capability on all Metrobuses, so you basically no longer need farecards or change. Just put $50 on your card once a week (or whenever) and you're set no matter what transportation mode you use.
Also, if you lose your card, you can get 100% of your balance back from Matro.