Muni Begins Putting TransLink on Buses

[marmar]

from the SF Chronicle, via MassTransitMag:



Muni Begins Putting TransLink on Buses


Rachel Gordon, The San Francisco Chronicle



The San Francisco Municipal Railway began outfitting its bus fleet Monday with equipment that will allow riders to use the regional TransLink fare card.

The fare-payment system already is in use on AC Transit and Golden Gate buses and ferries, and is scheduled to go live on Muni, BART and Caltrain next year. Eventually, 26 Bay Area public transit agencies are expected to participate in the program that allows people to use one prepaid fare card on multiple systems.

Muni already has card-readers installed on its light-rail cars and now is putting them on the buses. But Muni officials issued a warning that the system is now in the test phase and may have problems. They are asking TransLink users to be prepared to pay cash or show another Muni pass if the equipment isn't working.

"The test phase is crucial to validating that the smart-card system runs smoothly on Muni vehicles before it goes live. It also is instrumental in helping acclimate Muni bus and train operators to the new system," said Muni chief Nathaniel Ford.

The TransLink project, which is under the jurisdiction of the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission, has been hampered by problems with software developed by a private contractor. The glitches have caused numerous delays in getting the system running.

http://www.masstransitmag.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=4789

[nxylas]

1. But...but...the private sector couldn't possibly be to blame!

It MUST have been the Transportation Authority's fault, because the private sector is always a model of efficiency while the public sector is wasteful and inefficient. Haven't you listened to anything that corporate politicians and media have been telling you for the last quarter-century or so?

[Gormy Cuss]

2. The problem with TransLink is that it's addressing the problem from the wrong angle.

What the SF Bay area needs is fewer transportation authorities and more coordinated regional mass transit.