TransLink's Next Stop: Caltrain, August 17

Wow! Another big step so soon! I wonder how prepared the train conductors are, and if they carry the specialized card readers on them.

It will definitely be a while until other agencies can get going for testing, the installation of the product on buses takes time.

Plug2 is a daily Caltrain rider and Translink card holder. Ill give you play-by-play (via her) once she is able to use it.

I predict this will be a massive FAIL.

Caltrain's current fare structures.

1) Monthly Pass
2) Eight Ride ticket
3) One way tickets

Will you have to load an eight ride onto your card, or will tagging your card trigger the purchase of a new eight ride? Will the reader tell you how many rides you have left? - there is a substantial penalty for a one way vs an eight ride. The eight ride tickets have a 60 day expiry - have the brainiacs at Translink figured that one out? And if so, how do you check how long until that ticket expires?

How do you load any of these things onto a translink card anyway? Will the TVM machines allow you to insert a translink card? In theory you could do it just by tagging, but what if you are going some place unusual and you just want a one way, not an eight ride?

Me, I'll buy my paper monthly pass for a long long time, if nothing else than that flashing that pass will be quicker than having the conductor scan my translink card.

Take a look at their management report just released today, it gives much deeper insight into the execution of the program. I found this because the management group responsible for Translink met just a couple of hours ago.

It gives some details about BART, Caltrain, Samtrans, VTA, and some of the future changes with Cubic's purchase of Motorola ERG.

http://apps.mtc.ca.gov/events/agendaView.akt?p=1327

YAY!!! Thank you, SF Appeal!!! This IS what it sounds like when doves cry! Will have my better half report on how Caltrain implementation goes as well.

oh, and to answer at least some of John Murphy's questions, it sounds like Caltrain is going to ask riders to swipe in when they board, and swipe off when they leave. If you don't swipe off, you get billed the maximum. Monthlies only have to swipe once, and they claim you can load multi-ride passes on the Translink too. I got this all off one of the Caltrain newsletters (.pdf), of all places.

I agree that it'll be interesting to see how the Caltrain implementation works -- MUNI's been pretty good with distinguishing between single rides, transfers, and monthly passes so I'm hoping theiir technology is okay. Me, I'm still working myself up in a lather over the fact that BART can't get a non-credit-card way to give me my High Rider Value ticket!

Tag-on and tag-off; its the same policy as Golden Gate Transit is using right now.

I heard rumors that they will have an "unfortunate event" option (derailment, accident, etc.) that passengers with Translink cards can tag-off at the same station they were waiting for their train and get a full refund. Not sure that's true, but it would take some of the grumpiness out of wasting your money on a train that is severely delayed.

"I heard rumors that they will have an "unfortunate event" option (derailment, accident, etc.) that passengers with Translink cards can tag-off at the same station they were waiting for their train and get a full refund."

I've been on trains that had fatalities. Eventually they walked us across the tracks to a parking lot and put everyone on a bus. Execpt of course for those of us with bikes.

There is always a reader to tag off a GG Transit bus...
But... there's no translink reader in a parking lot in the middle of Redwood City - the readers are on the platforms, not the trains. Which makes sense or dwell time would be ridiculous.

Fortunately you don't have to "tag off" in San Francisco, you can just let it take the max off while you run to the N-Judah. Otherwise, there might be a rumble to get to the front of the tag-off queue. I can't say the same for when 200+ people get ejected from Caltrain in Mountain View. If you miss your company shuttle - there is no next company shuttle.

My overall point is that this will be more of a pain in the butt than the paper tickets will be, which is counter to the whole point.

Hmm. Right now, a Monthly Caltrain pass is good as a monthly pass on VTA or SamTrans. But those agencies don't have readers... :(