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Could it be? One year after some talk that the MTA was considering bringing smart card technology to roost here, the MTA is actually going to pilot test smart cards. So that $44 million put towards testing isn't going to waste! The goal is to have a "seamless fare card" that would be able to work against the MTA's systems (the subways, buses, Metro North), the PATH, and NJ Transit (buses and trains). Gothamist would love that idea - waiting on line at Penn Station for LIRR or NJ Transit tickets kills us, even at the machines. The Daily News says the agencies signed a "strategic alliance" to simply NYC metro area travel, which makes us yearn for a reality show with contestents from those agencies trying to navigate through their properties, The Amazing Race-meets-Survivor like. However, the pilot program won't begin until next year at the earliest...but then again, that's a few months for us to lobby the MTA to be part of the test.
Another great thing about the potential of a Smart Card is that people would get through turnstiles at subways faster (and with less hurting when you misswipe but still walk through) and would help get people on buses faster (damn those people who insert the cards the opposite from the arrows!). And as we said earlier, 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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Another good thing about the card: it would finally fix the "metrocard bending" epidemic.
Another good thing about the smart card: it would finally fix the "metrocard bending" epidemic.
The How Stuff Works link to Smart Cards actually explains the workings of a different type of smart card, one that requires contact... you know, the one where you can see that gold-colored chip embedded on it. The ones that the MTA want to use are contactless and work differently than those explained on that page.
I think this is more like how the MTA smart cards will work (RFID). My main concerns are that a.) someone will figure out how to steal your MTA ID wirelessly and b.) that the RFID in the MTA card will interfere with the RFID card I use to get into my office.
Oops. That link was http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/blink.htm. Beats me how I screwed it up.
London Transport's Oyster Card is also an excellent smart card technology.
Not for nothing, but I think putting the word "smart" next to the acronym "MTA" is one of them oxymorons. Kalikow will have to commission a 14 separate committees to study it, 32 companies to mess up the bid, and $130 billion to implement the program. And at the end of it all, Reuter will then say it will take 5 years, uh, he means, 5 months, uh, he means, 5 days, to get it going.
Down in D.C., certain credit card companies offer SmarTrip technology in their cards ... One card for everything. Now if only WMATA had enough credit for more train cars and more Metrorail lines ...
I assume you meant to use the word "Simplify" rather than the word simply.