Really, Translink?

Clipper? Really?!

Translink on BART - Followup

I recently made a weekend trip to Southern California. Aside from worrying about the narrowly-avoided BART strike, my trip to and from SFO gave me the opportunity to test first hand BART's progress with Translink.

The results: mixed.

On the way to SFO on Thursday, I tagged my green wondercard only to hear the turnstile screech and display the 'See Agent' message. Not wanting to bother, I used the regular paper floppy plastic BART card instead.

Today, however, on my way back from SFO I entered the BART station to find the trains mercifully running. This time, when I tagged the card the fare gates parted and displayed my Translink balance. The exit at 16th Street was equally smooth, and showed me the new balance after it calculated and deducted my fare.

I continue to recommend that everyone get a Translink card and try to use it as often as possible.

BART Takes translink With a But

BART announced today that it will begin accepting Translink. Translink on BART. Now! Like, for reals!

If it sounds too good to be true, well, maybe it is. BART says a small group of BART-only EZ Rider cardholders are being asked to try the futuristic green transit card as part of the agency's test phase. Translink differs from EZ Rider cards only in that it works on other agencies (Muni, AC Transit, Samtrans, GG Transit right now) and BART doesn't have 100% complete control over it.

But if, like me, you already have a Translink card:

Anyone else with a TransLink card is welcome to use it on BART during this limited rollout period, as long as they have a TransLink card loaded with sufficient e-cash (electronic cash) ... Because passengers are always responsible for fare payment, please be sure to bring along other means of payment such as an EZ Rider card, a BART blue ticket or cash as a backup during the limited rollout of TransLink on BART. -SFBART's Blog

That means I'll be tapping my card every chance I get, and only maybe using my paper floppy plastic BART card if I absolutely have to.

The future is here!

BART to Accept Translink Sometime This Month

SFist and the SF Chronicle Comical report that early testing of Translink on BART has been a success, with no major glitches. Starting May 8th riders can sign up to test the smart card on the BART system. Barring any problems in that phase, full implementation could come within a month of that date.

This great news; Translink is something everyone should have in their wallets, and everyone is predicting that BART will be Translink's killer app.

Progress on Translink

Rachel Gordon, possibly the best reporter left at the Comical Chronicle, reports today that BART has finally set the date when it will begin accepting Translink cards at its fare gates. That date is early June, according to Gordon, although it's not 100% clear to me whether this represents the start of a testing phase or the full implementation. In either case, the first people to use Translink will be 1,000 regular users of BART's own EZ Rider card.

I've had a Translink card for over a year and highly recommend it. I don't put my Fast Pass on it because I'm hesitant to give up the reliability of that paper copy, but it's been worth its weight in exact change several times. I've used it to catch an all-nighter bus across the bay after BART has gone to sleep (why the Bay Area's most under-funded transit agency is the only one crossing the water at 2am - and why it was the first to implement Translink - is a great question) and I've also used it to pay for friends when we catch a bus on a whim.

Translink really allows for greater flexibility in my transit usage, and I hope BART's rollout is successful.

Transit Race!

What a wonderful idea! The Bay Area could certainly use an event like this.

Transit People, "an all-volunteer Los Angeles non-profit that conducts educational, one day trips for school groups using the public transit system," is organizing a race from a starting point to a secret location. The catch is that you need to rely on your encyclopedic knowledge of public transit to get there!

I freaking love this idea.

On race day: at 10:00 a.m. sharp (okay, maybe a few minutes later), your team leader will receive a phone call announcing the race destination. Your team then must figure out the best transit route to get there.

Imagine something like the MTC using an event like this to sign folks up for Translink, maybe with the prize being a Translink card pre-loaded with a couple hundred bucks.