Translink Update for 2012

[StylinRed]

Originally Posted by Soundy

So go on the website and register your plate - doesn't cost anything, and the toll becomes $3.45. If you're paying too much, it's your own stupid fault.

yeah thats a major difference.....

you seem to be missing the point that people find it too expensive... be it 3.45 each way or 4.10 each way or the transponder @ a $1 rental + toll (that's why translink is wanting to advertise it...)

[gars]

Originally Posted by StylinRed

yeah thats a major difference.....

you seem to be missing the point that people find it too expensive... be it 3.45 each way or 4.10 each way or the transponder @ a $1 rental + toll (that's why translink is wanting to advertise it...)

How much do you want to pay then? would $2.50 be more reasonable?

I think $3.45 is completely reasonable.

[hotjoint]

I remember when it was 75 cents to take the bus......

[CRS]

If translink doesn't turn its skytrain network a distanced based system, it will be all for nothing.

The idea of zones were so arbitrary to begin with and the ONLY reason it existed was because we did not have turnstiles/faregates to check in where the person is travelling to. With the smartcard and faregates, this solves all those issues and being progressive, we should go to distance based rates vs. random zone patterns.

The more you use something, the more it should cost you. It isn't a new idea and now that we have the solution, we should use it.

[DsZ24]

Originally Posted by hotjoint

I remember when it was 75 cents to take the bus......

high school concession fare ftw

[GG]

Originally Posted by CRS

If translink doesn't turn its skytrain network a distanced based system, it will be all for nothing.

The idea of zones were so arbitrary to begin with and the ONLY reason it existed was because we did not have turnstiles/faregates to check in where the person is travelling to. With the smartcard and faregates, this solves all those issues and being progressive, we should go to distance based rates vs. random zone patterns.

The more you use something, the more it should cost you. It isn't a new idea and now that we have the solution, we should use it.

as a results riders decides to fuck the system not to pay, and guess what i dont blame them. THe random distance is completely bullshit.

Metro to royal oak station costs one zone? LMAO gtfo

[LIKEABOSS]

Originally Posted by CRS

If translink doesn't turn its skytrain network a distanced based system, it will be all for nothing.

The idea of zones were so arbitrary to begin with and the ONLY reason it existed was because we did not have turnstiles/faregates to check in where the person is travelling to. With the smartcard and faregates, this solves all those issues and being progressive, we should go to distance based rates vs. random zone patterns.

The more you use something, the more it should cost you. It isn't a new idea and now that we have the solution, we should use it.

How do other systems track the distance travelled by users? Do they have to swipe their card once when they get on the train and then swipe again when they get to their destination?

The current system where approx 1 city = 1 zone seems pretty fair to me (and I have to pay 2 zone to get from Joyce to Metro lol [w/ only 1 stop in between]) :P

[Graeme S]

Originally Posted by LIKEABOSS

How do other systems track the distance travelled by users? Do they have to swipe their card once when they get on the train and then swipe again when they get to their destination?

The current system where approx 1 city = 1 zone seems pretty fair to me.

Bingo. And when done right, it's not a tough system.

[Ch28]

Originally Posted by LIKEABOSS

How do other systems track the distance travelled by users? Do they have to swipe their card once when they get on the train and then swipe again when they get to their destination?

The current system where approx 1 city = 1 zone seems pretty fair to me (and I have to pay 2 zone to get from Joyce to Metro lol [w/ only 1 stop in between]) :P

You pre-load your card with whatever amount of money you want on it.

You swipe your card at the turnstile before you enter the actual skytrain portion and it'll log your card as entering that station. Once you get off at your destination, you swipe it again as you leave the station and the system will subtract that amount off your card. If you have insufficient funds then the turnstiles don't open for you and you'll have to go to the nearest machine to refill the card.

If you choose to pay by cash instead of using the smart card then you go to the machine and pay a certain dollar amount. Each destination (from the current station you're at) is priced at a different amount. The closer the station, the cheaper it is.

You look up which station you want to go to and you pay that dollar amount. Once you've paid, the machine will spit out a plastic coin with a chip in it. You scan the coin at the turnstile to enter and hop onto the train. Once you get off at the station, you head to the exit and drop your plastic coin into the slot and the turnstiles will open allowing you to leave.

i.e.
metrotown -> joyce = $0.75
metrotown -> burrard = $2.25
king george -> waterfront = $5

[Firmware]

Trashlink

[falcon]

Yeah and if you have a smart card it's cheaper than pay as you go.

Zones only make sense in big cities where there are MANY lines to choose from like London or Paris. And even there, they still have a distance based system for smart card users. I was only in London for two weeks in November and I "rented" a smart card. Ended up saving a ton on the tube/bus over those two weeks VS. pay as you go.

I'm going to hate going back to Vancouver transit after this trip. They need to update the machines too to European style where you can type in the desination or search by stop and pay to that stop etc.

If you've never been to Europe/Asia it's hard to understand how this all works but trust me, it would be AMAZING if we had this system in Vancouver.

[LuHua]

Evergreen construction finally starting, wonder how that's going to affect prices.

[gars]

no one in London uses Pay as you go except for tourists. So honestly - you're technically not saving anything.

London also has a system where Zone 1 (Central London) is a lot more expensive than all the other zones. If you stay outside central london during your journey - it's very cheap, but anybody that has to go through or to central pays a lot.

You can get a monthly pass for zone 1/2 and you'll be paying £112 a month. But if you work in zone 2 and live in zone 5 - you can pay £111 a month for a zone 2/5 pass - even though you can be traveling a waaaay longer distance but because you're not going through zone 1, you're saving a lot.

I'd be happy to have people going downtown pay a premium - but I don't think other people would be very happy with that.

[Not really racist!]

Problem is.. where would we find places to replenish our cards? I mean in HK there are convenience stores right in the metro station, but for our stations only some of them have that kind of accessibility..

But I guess this is a step in the right direction

[teekaywok]

^

711, london drugs, pretty much places that they already sell bus passes. heck, they can even build a small kiosk in the station.

[Not really racist!]

^ replenishing the cards is more of an "on the go" thing

i don't think people in a rush would wanna deal with walking a distance afar.
turnstiles are supposed to make things faster, more efficient, and safe.

and if you wanna bring up the "oh keep track of the $ on ur card" argument then, well, it happens
i only see small kisosk as the only solution.

[teekaywok]

make a fare machine to refill cards? hong kong has many. They need to make another machine for checking the balance in the cards. Problem solved

[Not really racist!]

^ dam, i must have not been to hk in a while

correct me if im wrong, don't it show ur balance too when you hop on the bus / metro and beep your card? lol
at the end of the day i still think we're gonna be miles and miles behind HK and other places around the world

[Anjew]

its the 21st century, i'm sure you can replenish your cards online.......

even parking has paybyphone app....

[teekaywok]

Originally Posted by Not really racist!

^ dam, i must have not been to hk in a while

correct me if im wrong, don't it show ur balance too when you hop on the bus / metro and beep your card? lol
at the end of the day i still think we're gonna be miles and miles behind HK and other places around the world

yes it does, there is also an indicator on it, green, yellow and red, ofc green being a lot of funds, yellow is when you should refill and red as no more funds. i havent been to hk but i still keep my octopus in my walet

i just wish it was Japan where my phone can open my door...

[melloman]

New transit passes usher speedy trips
By TYLER ORTON, 24 HOURS

Counting exact change or jamming a crumpled bus ticket into a card reader — banes of the busy bus passenger’s life — are set to become faded memories this spring when the new electronic fare card system launches.

Instead, it will take less than a second for riders to validate Compass cards after tapping them against card readers set to roll out the same time as SkyTrain fare gates, according to the project’s implementation manager Norm Fraser.

But the purportedly swift-acting Compass card system has at least one sluggish drawback — passengers must also swipe the card to get off the bus.

“Initially, there will be growing pains,” Fraser admitted while previewing the new technology for 24 hours.

Mobile validator devices will automatically deduct a three-zone fare from the stored-value cards when passengers get on the bus. Riders must then line up behind other departing passengers to swipe when exiting to receive money back if they travel fewer than three zones.

This means validators subtract $5 from the cards when single-zone riders get on the bus, but will reimburse them $2.50 when they get off. If someone exits without swiping, they pay the full three-zone fare.


But Fraser said validators can handle 30 to 35 swipes a minute, which should keep congestion to a minimum as people leave.

Despite the cards’ Big Brother undertone — they come complete with microchips and antennae so they can be reloaded with money and track passengers’ movements through the system — Fraser said passengers and taxpayers will benefit greatly.

TransLink will be able to determine when and where people are getting on and off buses as they swipe, allowing the transit authority to adjust services.

Fraser, a former bus driver himself, said drivers still have the final say about who gets on the bus.

“Nothing from this project takes discretion away from our drivers. They’re still the captains of their ship.”

24 Hours Vancouver

Heard about this(bolded section) last week on the radio and thought, wow that's definitely going to piss some people off. Another one of Translinks "Trial & Error" options coming out of the dark I figure.

Any other opinions?

[ae101]

i have a octopus card & another one for guanzhou, its very simple but why does vancouver make it so hard

[tiger_handheld]

Originally Posted by Tequilabomb

as a results riders decides to fuck the system not to pay, and guess what i dont blame them. THe random distance is completely bullshit.

Metro to royal oak station costs one zone? LMAO gtfo

You mean Metro to Patterson? Bish I can walk that in 7mins!

[tiger_handheld]

Originally Posted by melloman

Heard about this(bolded section) last week on the radio and thought, wow that's definitely going to piss some people off. Another one of Translinks "Trial & Error" options coming out of the dark I figure.

Any other opinions?

Who was the genius that decided we need to "swipe to get off"?

If I was designing the system, I'd have users "swipe in" to get on the bus - no issues with that. BUT use RFID/NFC to auto deduct when they get off the bus!

Imagine trying to get off the bus at broadway or metrotown or any other major loop. Next thing you know, buses are going to be late even more cuz 70 people offloaded at broadway and commercial! Also think about the elderly that now need to do more shit to get off the bus with their walkers.

[yray]

^ just board, swipe when you walk by the door and sit