Can transpass be converted to Stored Value Cards?

[worldtraveler]

Septa, a pioneer in introducing the transpass, should convert to store value cards. Can the existing turnstiles and fare machines on buses, trolleys, etc be adjusted to read stored value cards, like NYCTA MetroCard? We could drop using tokens. The card could also deduct an additional $0.60 for a transfer. Going to stored value will move SEPTA in the right direction for fare restructuring.

[jfrey40535]

No. SEPTA did some kind of million dollar study a few years ago to investigate changing their fare structure to do this, and unfortunately it was money tossed into the trash. They did nothing. Maybe the turnstiles could still be used, but I'm sure alot more would be involved in adapting a value card into their system.

We're probablly years away from that.

[reldnahkram]

SEPTA has just released this year's Capital Budget and the 10-year Capital Plan. Page 44 has an item for a completely overhauled fare system, involving the use of magnetic read/write cards (i.e. farecards) that appear to be good for transit and the rail division! The $49 Million project will "realign fare collection within SEPTA, across all modes, fleets and business functions" (from the budget proposal).

'Bout time.

[JeffK]

AMEN! You mean SEPTA is finally Serious About Not Using Change? Who woulda thought?

I understand they have a counting room where all of those dollar bills are hand-folded, and that there may be around a TON of tokens in circulation plus all of the coins they collect. Can anyone confirm?

The only catch with a stored-value card is that in an open and far-reaching system like SEPTA, there's going to have to be provision for casual riders and people who live in areas where it's hard to get access to the cards. There can't be too much of a cost differential, otherwise the card will simply become an electronic equivalent of the token - i.e., you have one, you save; you don't, you pay a hefty premium, even if there's no reasonable place to purchase the cheaper instrument. NOT the way to encourage new riders.

[Matthew Mitchell]

To answer the initial question, there would need to be a hardware upgrade to convert to stored value cards (SV): the current swipe readers (*) are read-only, while you need a read/write to implement SV. If you're going to that length, at this point I wonder if it wouldn't be better to step up to a contactless card instead.(**)

The fare collection study had two parts: one on policy/fare structure and the other on technology. The policy side (I served on an advisory panel to it) was rather interesting because it shed light on management's perspective: while the passengers wanted better integration of fares (e.g. transit/railroad) and a lower transfer charge, management wanted to reduce the number of different fare instruments SEPTA sells, particularly for the railroad. That's one reason they floated a reduction in the number of RRD fare zones a few years ago. The bottom line was that adopting a new fare collection system was attractive to a lot of people, but it wouldn't have the impact it did in New York(***) and it would upset some people who find the present system advantageous (like those who make 10 one-seat trips per week and need only pay for a bag of tokens instead of a pass). But mainly SEPTA didn't have the capital money to pay for a new system, and they didn't want to look around in the budget to try and find some money.

There is indeed a counting room, and last I heard, SEPTA contracted out token packaging (don't know if they still do, but at one time, it was done by a workshop for mentally-disabled people, which I think is a win-win). Don't know what the current count is, but around the time of the aborted fare increase and resulting token shortage, SEPTA had about six million of them. At 5 g apiece (about what a nickel weighs), that would be 30,000 kg or 30 metric tons.

And yes, Jeff, no fare technology is going to be effective if you don't make it easy for people to buy the fares.


*--remember that at the time SEPTA installed them (late 80s), SEPTA was actually out front on fare policy in several ways: widespread pass use, the high cash fare and steep token/pass discount, and the swipe-reader turnstiles. Since then though, technology has improved markedly, and SEPTA is now behind the times(****).

**--then again I'd also give a lot of consideration to a proof-of-payment system: you could eliminate transfer charges entirely this way as well as speed up boarding and alighting, plus other benefits.

**--Everyone wanted to replicate the Metrocard success (huge increase in ridership), but many forgot why Metrocard was a success: it took the TA in one great leap from a 1920s fare structure to a 1990s one. There were no unlimited-use passes, no opportunities for discounting, and transfer passengers had to pay two full fares. The benefit wasn't from technology--it was from modernizing the structure of the fares.

***--at least they haven't adopted some fare fads like the flat fare with no transfer discount (i.e. pay two full fares for a two-vehicle trip). The accountants love this system, and it was recommended in the Phoenix report, but it's economically inefficient because you're increasing the fare penalty for transfers to 100% on top of the time penalty. For some systems with radial networks (e.g. Baltimore), it's feasible, but not for a grid system like SEPTA's where the most efficient way to move people is with buses feeding rail.

[JeffK]

Thirty tonnes(*)? and I thought I was possibly off-base by thinking there was only one ...

Agree that the idea of eliminating transfers would be counterproductive even if the base fare were lowered. It would simply punish people for using the system effectively and distort riding decisions. Over a decade ago one of the managers told me that SEPTA had evidence that what was then a 40-cent transfer was causing some people to stay on buses rather than switch to the El or BSS. A policy which doubled fares for transferring, especially since many of the subway / El riders are not millionaires, would encourage that behavior many times over.

I doubt that p-o-p would work in a city like Philadelphia. Hate to sound cynical, but too many people would try to beat the system. You'd need an army of inspectors who would somehow have to be equipped to enforce the rules without endangering themselves.

One other possibility would be a timed fare so that in effect you'd pay for a trip rather than paying by the vehicle. Any transfers would be covered so long as they took place within the time limit. Again, though, it might be difficult to accomplish in an efficient fashion. I've used the "strip-card" system in Stockholm and its cousins in other European cities, and I'd be concerned that a system requiring inspection of everyone's card on boarding would be too cumbersome for many SEPTA routes given boarding densities.

(*) tonne = official SI name for 1000 kg or metric ton. Also, as a coin geek as well as transit geek, the nickel was conceived as a true metric coin back in the 1860s, the first time the country was supposed to ditch feet, pounds, furlongs and hogsheads. Its weight is exactly 5.00 gm.