TransLink to become reality?
By queen
Monday, May 11th, 2009 at 4:24 pm in Misc. Transportation.
Bay Area commuters may soon be able to hop on BART in Pleasant Hill, jump aboard a Muni bus at the Embarcadero station, transfer to Caltrain and zoom to work in San Jose, all on the same prepaid card.
Well, maybe. BART announced Friday that the TransLink card passed lab and tests and is “expected” to be available to its riders by this summer. Up until now, only AC Transit, Golden Gate bus, Golden Gate ferry and Muni accepted the card.
This would seem to be great news – the most important component of Bay Area commuting finally becoming part of the TransLink network – but it could be a bit premature to start celebrating.
The project has suffered from delays since it first came under discussion in 1993. Back in early 2007, the revered founder of this blog, Erik Nelson, announced that the long-awaited TransLink card had finally made its debut in the Bay Area, on AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit.
The card was supposed to be available on all the Bay Area’s transit systems by 2001. Oakland resident Garlynn Woodsong gives an engaging account of why it has taken so long on his Underground Science blog.
Still, BART says the card should be available by this summer, which would presumably force them to make it happen by September. Well, readers, are you ready to run out and buy one of those green cards right away? If not, why not? And if you might be willing to share your thoughts with Reporter Janis Mara about the subject, her know either via a comment here or at jmara@bayareanewsgroup.com. She is writing a story about TransLink.
Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
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May 12th, 2009 at 9:37 am
I love my Translink card – I hate having to get a separate BART card. With Translink, if someone swipes my wallet (as has happened), I don’t lose $140 of recently received in the mail BART tickets on my way home – I can just cancel my Translink card and get a new one!
Now if only they can do something to improve the squalid conditions and slowness of BART…
May 12th, 2009 at 10:43 am
That’s an excellent point, Jenn! Yet another reason the prepaid card is a good idea. Lovelovelove your blog, by the way. Any chance you’d be willing to be interviewed by our reporter Janis Mara for her article on TransLink? If you send along an e-mail address I’ll connect you, or e-mail her at jmara@bayareanewsgroup.com
May 12th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
I think translink is a waste of time and money! What good does it do? It doesn’t save riders any money! You get a bonus when you sign up, but then that’s it!
May 12th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Distressing true (but so-far unpublicized) facts about Translink on BART:
1. Translink cards will have a separate “e-wallet” for high-value BART purchases (the kind where you get a discount when you do it with EZ Rider or BART paper tickets). This separate “e-wallet” will contain value that can only be used on BART, not on other systems. Thus, if your BART e-wallet on Translink is chock-full of money, but your non-BART e-wallet on Translink is depleted, guess what, you have to put more money on your Translink card.
2. Translink cards will not be able to be used to pay for BART parking. You’ll still need cash or a BART EZ-Rider card for that.
May 13th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Scott, I’m glad you shared the information about this weird BART e-wallet segregation. Sounds like something our reporter should look into for her story.
Also, thanks to those TransLink users who e-mailed jmara@bayareanewsgroup.com to be interviewed for the story.
May 13th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Another reason why Translink is flawed!
May 13th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
More inconvenience for the BART rider!
May 13th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Yep. Here’s a low tech solution: Sell transit tokens valid on all systems in the Bay Area!
May 13th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
That’s brilliant! Great idea. The Queen loves low-tech solutions. But it’s not totally low-tech cuz the cards would have to be accepted by BART’s gates, no?
May 13th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Just little coin-like things that you put into a slot. That’s what was first used in NYC.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:27 pm
[...] thanks to Scott Mace, who commented about BART’s e-wallet in the Queen’s initial TransLink post. Scott, seems like the dang e-wallet, which you pointed [...]
June 6th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
So would that mean all trips on all systems would be the exact same price? Wouldn’t that be a little silly?
June 7th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Not at all. For instance, BART may charge one token, while AC Transit might charge 3 for a ride. However, it would require BART to switch to a flat rate fare structure.
June 7th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Steven L., actually in a new TransLink-type system that just started up in Seattle and King County, the fares on all systems are the same or at least standardized to some extent, I believe.
TransLink as it currently exists does charge the unique fees of AC Transit, Muni, Golden Gate buses and Golden Gate ferries, though I’m sure you both already know that.
June 7th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
the problem with translink, aside from massive expense and gross tardiness, is that it DOES NOT honor the discounts afforded by the various discount coupons from using connecting systems. So my card is in my pocket, but I rarely use it.
June 8th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
AND Translink lies. They say you get big discounts when you use their card over regular fares.
You sign up, and what do you get? A small bonus, but no discounts!