Gothamist: MTA's Future Is a Key, Not a Swipe

herenthere

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 13:04:45 -0500

Actually,MTA is most likely going to expand the smartcard tech to buses as well. After all, it wouldnt be sensible to not do that. Many other metros in the world use smartcard on both buses and trains, incl:Tokyo,Hong Kong,London,WashingtonD.C. However, as Jen Chung said before, the MTA takes forever to accomplish anything.

MH

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 11:17:29 -0500

I agree with Kevin on the sinster plan: FOLKS we alread get $2 after the fifth ride when we purchase $10 on a card. The free $2 is nothing new. This is a sufisticated EASY PASS system. The card key does not allow buses to read the transfer. Don't you think this is a "one step further" of Mayor Guliani's success. "Get The Money Now Plan." The thirty day unlimited has you spending the same amount every month in advance. Now with this key card, we pay in advance and get no transferrs. They want to consistantly take money from the bank. Sounds like a bank skeem. This means they are still getting their money and we are paying more often when we need the transfer. The key card gets used faster and you purchase it sooner and more often. I agree corporations should pay for their own test. Stop Metrotardation. Get rid of these ideas and fix the cement smelly tunnels. I feel uneasey about a below sea level transportation system.

Dessert Faux

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 22:56:09 -0500

I don't see why a contactless 30-day pass is going to be such an issue. The Chicago CTA has a similar "unlimited ride" card linked to a credit/debit card and you pay for the card once every 30 days via auto-debit. And subway-bus connections (30c each?) work just fine on the pay-per-use variant as well. Don't see why Kevin sees this as a sinister plan "to eliminate bus-subway free transfers as well as unlimited rides." This will be a great idea and can complement existing MetroCard lanes. The MTA can have Citibank and other Paypass providers pay for equipment and testing.

Cole

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 19:42:09 -0500

It will be interesting to see how the MTA handles unlimited passes--in DC and Chicago where they have systems similar to this, they are only for pay-per-ride use; unlimited ride passes have to be bought separately (and are very hard to come by, since both cities have lousy subway pass vending machines). So the people who use it the most are discouraged from getting the best deal--but those systems also wouldn't have nearly the number of unlimited passengers that New York does, so I can't see that the MTA could avoid making a 30-day fast pass option.

Tom

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 16:13:05 -0500

The MTA; We bring you yesterday's technology tomorrow!

SJ

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 11:51:16 -0500

"shaving precious seconds off commuting time." How I laughed when I read that after having been turned away from the Carrol Street station at 10:30 am this morning with no 'F' or 'G' trains running. The MTA is a disaster, the infrastructure of the whole system needs funding and all the NY subway riders get are employees in cookoo land thinking they deserve 8% raise for each of thee years, and management that want to play with cool doo-hickey things that have radio waves coming out of them. We are so f*&^ed.

pianokid

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 11:22:49 -0500

Asia had this technology AGES ago... altho HK wins with the most retarded name for the technology...Octopus.

Metrotardation

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 11:19:22 -0500

Bring Back tokens already. They were the only thing that worked consistently. The MTA can't handle new technology effectively. Besides 44 Million for a TEST???? Can you say gross mismanagement of funds This is just another technology clusterfuck soon to be unleashed by the MTA.

iceberg

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 11:08:23 -0500

I've wrote about that here on Half-Bakery.com

Publius

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 10:58:17 -0500

Wake me up when monthly passholders who buy through the TransitChek program are eligible to use the technology, but at least it's good for the MTA to get on the problem this quickly. Also, Metrocards are highly collectible--especially the ones with different pictures on the backs. I'm especially fond of the baseball ones.

joe

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 10:39:44 -0500

>>Sounds like an MTA scheme to eliminate bus-subway free transfers as well as unlimited rides. No, it doesn't. It sounds like it's an early preliminary test, which is what it is.

Kevin Walsh

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 10:10:22 -0500

>>Some pitfalls: The keychain fobs won't let buses read transfers from subways and there will be no unlimited rides (though every sixth ride is free, on the $2 per ride fare system). Sounds like an MTA scheme to eliminate bus-subway free transfers as well as unlimited rides. www.forgotten-ny.com

S.D.

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 09:39:45 -0500

Greeeeaaaat. The MTA is having trouble with 30 (40?) year old magnetic strip technology and they want to use New Technology? Good luck!

riffola

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 09:38:07 -0500

HSBC issues Paypass credit & debit cards too.