AFC/Charlie ribbon cutting & first impression

Welcome to Automated Fare Collection Boston!

Just back from a visit to the Boston this past weekend, though my brief jaunt from Backbay to North Station on the Orange line used token. What will this mean?

-Start holding onto thoes Tokens, because they will become a collectors items. (give it 5 years before the token turnstyles will be 100% ripped out)

- Get ready for the glitches. When the MetroCard came online in the mid 90's in NYC there were a Plethora of problems, some of the more memorable ones included (as reported by the local news stations):
When you swiped your card, and it did not read it correctley, it still deducted the fare.
The magnetic stripe on them were not as durable as now and were easily wiped near mild magnetic fields.

-Get ready for the cursing commuters when they cant read the directions correctley when inserting the cards (i.e. WHen metrocard took off I saw people running them thru backwards without the magnetic strip facing the reader, an honest mistake, but I did see an MTA worker laughing his ass off).

Automated ticketing for the Commuter rails (LIRR and Metro North) did not merge with the Metrocard till 6 years later (in 2001) years later when the glitches were ironed out in the Metrocard System. So now your montly Metrocard for NYC transit is also your monthly pass for the Commuter Rail.

I havent seen the readers in boston, but I would hope they will reclaim spent passes (Like in the Paris Metro and DC I think). Because as said before, spent metrocards laying on the ground just look really bad, and its a waste!

Well i ride the T from aquarium (north end) to the airport a couple of times a week. The other day I had been on the road for about 3 weeks and when i came home imagine my surprise to see the Airport T station filled with cameras.

A couple of first impressions.

1. Those of us that have tokens and are getting on the T at the airport are in for a treat. The lines at the airport can be long long and long. So when i showed up i was surprised to see that the new turnstiles don't take the token. (i had heard rumors they would to make the transition easier).

Went to the AFC and had to push (cash) with a token? Who would have thought. I told the guy that was there, (a software engineer and an mbta higher up) that you should be able to just put a token in the AFC and have a Charlie card come right out. Might quicken things. Also there should be a "token" button in addition of "cash". I doubt it will help but i thought it might be interesting.

I carry a large bag (3 weeks on the road at a time) and i had no trouble getting through the turnstile. What really pissed me off was that they put in the crappy old style turnstiles with a bag hump that never worked only to rip them all out and install these new styles. Whoever said the T made sense.

As for the rest of the blue line. They are only installed on the Fanieull hall side of the blue line not on the aquarium side. Only a matter of time I guess.

Also i can see why they would start the process between the aquarium and the airport because most travelers from out of town, NYC, Chicago, Europe are used to those type's of AFC's. Not tokens. Maybe it makes an easier transition for them.

I'm going to walk down to the fanieull hall side of the blue line to get a prepaid card for the ride. Although I know it will only work on my ride from the airport inbound the thought of having to wait in a line after a long flight and 3 weeks on the road is worth it for me to do. I'll probably start out with 5 bucks just to see how long the card lasts.

I wish we could get the actual plastic cards with the chip in it like they will have in the future here. But what I've read they are going to make available in the distant distant future. I'd feel happier knowing that i couldn't wear off the magnetic strip.

I'll keep you guys updated.

Guys, I'm from New York and I've been away from this board for a while. I didn't know Boston was going to a fare-card system. I just commented this week on the Washington D.C. Metro forum how great Boston was 'cause they still used tokens, like NYC used to. Let me tell you, tokens were a better, simpler way of life. Lots of problems with fare-cards; the machines are complicated to use, etc. The cards can get de-magnetized. I've used fare-cards in NYC, Washington, and San Francisco, and they're all a big pain. Bring back the tokens and eliminate all the problems.............

Head-end View wrote:Guys, I'm from New York and I've been away from this board for a while. I didn't know Boston was going to a fare-card system. I just commented this week on the Washington D.C. Metro forum how great Boston was 'cause they still used tokens, like NYC used to. Let me tell you, tokens were a better, simpler way of life. Lots of problems with fare-cards; the machines are complicated to use, etc. The cards can get de-magnetized. I've used fare-cards in NYC, Washington, and San Francisco, and they're all a big pain. Bring back the tokens and eliminate all the problems.............

I was thinking about the de-magnitization problem as well.

But I think this can be easily remedied. Anyone here ever use a Mobil speedpass? Where you just waive a little wand about the size of a pen-cap infront of a reader, and it pays for fuel or other goods. The same principle behind EZ-Pass or in the Boston area the Fast Lane.

I think this would be a good remedy to the monthly rider pass. Because (at least in NYC) the Montly pass looks exaclty like a pay-as-you-go pass. That and you would not have to whip your wallet out in a subway station with bustling passangers, just whip out this little wand connected to your keys.

Oh well, just a thought....

In fact, that is part of the CharlieCard system, due to be rolled out during 2006. The technology is called RFID -- Radio Frequency Identification. These "smart cards" will use RFID proximity readers, so you can touch-and-go. A similar system is in place in Washington, DC.

Just giving you an update. On my way to work the other day i picked up a 5 dollar Charlie card. Apparently the most you can put on the "temporary" Charlie card is 5 dollars. The transaction was quick and painless. I was quite surprised.

I will be more excited when they come out with the smart chip cards. According to the website those won't come out till AFC's and the new turnstiles are in place throughout the system.

It is nice putting the Charlie card in the gate and having it show how much money you have left. I can't remember if this has been answered but does anybody know if it keeps the card once you run out of money on it? Keeps people from throwing it on the tracks after it's got no money.

I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. I'll keep you updated. SP

Maybe they should consider like a $.05 or $.10 deposit on cards to encourage re-use and/or disposal (via redemption).

savebowdoin wrote:No it does not. The cards are spit back out at you, and you must remove it for the gate to open. Good luck to the station cleaners once the system is in place...

Mike, On location in Philadelphia ;-D

Right...but at least there are plenty of trash cans nearby for people to...nevermind.

savebowdoin wrote:No it does not. The cards are spit back out at you, and you must remove it for the gate to open. Good luck to the station cleaners once the system is in place...

Mike, On location in Philadelphia ;-D

Man i was hoping that wasn't the case. Oh well that's too bad.

I don't think the magnetic strip is going to last long enough to be used more than a few times.

I put mine in my flight bag didn't want to wear the magnetic stripe off of it.

If only we can just have the smart cards now that would be great.

In Singapore, a S$1 deposit is required for all single-ride fare cards (they are plastic RFID cards, as the CharlieCard will be). One must get the refund from a fare machine outside of fare control. It adds a minute or so to a trip, but you never see a card on the ground on in the trackwell!

Have you ever seen how NYC's system is littered with used MetroCards? Charlie's on his way....

Have you ever seen how NYC's system is littered with used MetroCards? Charlie's on his way....

Yeah I have, you bet ya. Every time I've waited for an NYCTA Train, I've looked down at the tracks and platforms, and man is those track beds especially that were littered with MetroCards, including the stairs, and even train cars, I've seen MetroCards just sitting there. When mine expires, I always use the trash bin, NEVER throw it in the tracks... That's just despicable, and I wonder if they ever catch anyone littering with dead MetroCards.

I was going to post this this morning but as usual i got busy.

Going through the airport T yesterday I noticed a couple of things.

1. a fair amount of people had prepaid charlie cards like myself and didn't got to the machines.

2. There was the normal line at the machines to get the charlie cards. There was a cross section of tourists and locals.

3. Some of the biggest problems i see are people not understanding how to put the card into the machine and to take it out and that is what opens up the door. Ever see someone try and put a worn out dollar bill into a soda machine. Kind of like that.

4. I really like the new turnstiles with a bag. it makes it sooooo much easier.

5. At the aquarium side (not the fanieual hall side) they are putting in the new AFC. They are allready on the faniuel hall side.