SmarTrip is here... But is it worth it?
Samer Farha
Metro, after years of testing and changes and delays, have finally
introduced a reusable, rechargeable touchcard system for paying fares.
It was finally made public June 1st, and upon first inspection is a
Good Thing(tm).
First, the hype: Metro says that you can add money to this card in a
simple and efficient manner. They tell you that now you can use your
credit card to pay for your Metro fare. You can even put upto $180 on
the card (giving you $198 after your 10% bonus). Hey, and if you lose
it, no problem. It can be replaced or exchanged for a farecard. They
promise faster access to the trains and less headaches for you.
OK, so those are the claims. Here is what I have found over the last
week of using it.
Purchace: You can get your hands on one of these by going to any of the
Metro stores (I went to the Metro Center office) and paying $5. This
gets you an empty card. You can also buy them from
http://www.wmata.com/. This costs $25, but you get a card with $20
already on it.
Registering: You can register by mail, by phone or on the web site. Or
you don't have to register at all. But you need to register in order to
get a refund should you lose the card.
Use: A snap really. Just walk up to any Farecard machine that is
equipped to handle SmarTrip and press the card to it. Add money, used
or new farecards (if used they must be under $7 - not sure why), then
press the card to it again. Bingo, you are ready to ride.
Next, just walk up to a turnstile that has the SmarTrip logo and press
you card (it can even be in a wallet). The information display area
tells you how much money is on your card and the turnstile opens. On
the other side, when you touch the card it displays what you just paid
as well as the new total. You are done!
The downsides:
For a system that was tested, rejected, replaced, and tested again,
you'd think Metro would have prepared for the new technology age.
First: I think all the stations had the new Farecard machines that can
handle credit cards installed many months ago. Then, and I'm guessing
it is because of the confusion they caused, the credit parts of the
machines were covered up. For this roll out, a few stations's machines
were restored. Unfortunately, not having them at rather big stations
(like McPherson Square and Court House) makes one of the prime reasons
for getting these unavailable.
Second: No way to check what's left on your card without being near a
Farecard machine. And you cannot check the history (there is no printed
record of what you started out with and what was deducted with each
swipe).
Third: The internet. E-commerce. The future. And Metro is already a
step behind. While you can buy all sorts of things from Metro online
(even SmarTrip cards), you cannot add value to the cards online. Kind
of silly, I think.
Fourth: Access is still a bit of a problem. At Court House, all the
gates have SmarTrip access. At McPhearson Square, on one side it has
access in the two gates and the handicaped gates on the otehr side, it
is just teh handicapped gates that have them.
Conclusion:
I got the SmarTrip because I am a tech nut. I like anything that is
supposed to make my life easier, and if it is electronic, then I like
it doubly so. My thinking is that it would let me enter and exit
faster, bacuse I would not have to take the farcard out and fumble with
gates that would not always take the card. It would help because by
putting larger sums of money on it, I could have longer between trips
to the farecard machine. I also figures I could easily add to it
online, maybe making a stand in line behind tourists or huge numbers of
students on some trip a thing of the past.
The system works. It is good. It does make for faster entry and egress.
If you can find a gate other than the handicapped one. I think Metro
really dropped the ball by not allowing access to history information
and the ability to add value online, but overall, this system works, as
opposed to many of the trains.
Samer
SereneBabe
Samer Farha wrote:
[snip]
> The system works. It is good. It does make for faster entry and egress.
> If you can find a gate other than the handicapped one. I think Metro
> really dropped the ball by not allowing access to history information
> and the ability to add value online, but overall, this system works, as
> opposed to many of the trains.
I've got nothing to add, I just wanted to thank you for such a thorough
assessment of the SmarTrip card...
It's nice that there are people out there who take the time to share their experiences.
Y'know?
:-)
Heather
--
"It's All About Me!" a weekly column by SereneBabe
http://members.aol.com/serenebabe/index.html
June 2, 1999: "My Goal in Life is to be Martha Stewart"
guest column by Susan Hogarth
Miguel Cruz
> Metro, after years of testing and changes and delays, have finally
> introduced a reusable, rechargeable touchcard system for paying fares.
> It was finally made public June 1st, and upon first inspection is a
> Good Thing(tm).
1) It costs $5? Do I get that back? Does it actually provide $5 worth of
value?
2) I use the $35 Short Trip Pass. As irrational as it may seem, I feel much
better when I have unlimited rides, even if it actually costs me $7 more
every two weeks. In the beginning I figured I'd use it to go out in the
evenings, but of course the Metro has made sure it's useless for that by
closing down around dinner time. Anyway, can this be used for unlimited-trip
passes or only for stored value transactions?
miguel
Joseph T. Hatfield
>It costs $5? Do I get that back? Does it actually provide $5 worth of
value?
No, the $5 is for the cost of the card itself, and you don't get it back.
You have to add value to the card before you can use it to ride.
> 2) Can this be used for unlimited-trip passes or only for stored value
transactions?
It cannot be used for unlimited-trip passes; the cost of every trip is
deducted from the stored value. (I hope that changes in the future!)
By the way, one thing that was not mentioned was the fact that with the
SmartCard you never have to use the exit fare machines. In other words, if
your card balance goes negative, you can still exit the station without
having to add value to the card. Of course, you will have to bring the
balance back up before the card can be used again.
Miguel Cruz
> I am curious as to your third downside, though. How would you add
> value to the cards on-line? The card has a registration number, if you
> go to a web site and entered the number, how would you add value to
> the card? It's the card that contains the info, right? The card
> doesn't signal back to some computer to check it's balance, does it? I
> just don't see a way to add value to the cards via the Internet that
> would apply to the majority of people using the cards. Maybe some
> people would buy/lease a card reader, but I don't think many would.
If the value was contained within the card, and people could use devices in
their home to add value, WMATA would have collected its last penny of
revenue sometime this spring. The only possible way they could keep a lid on
fraud is by maintaining a controlled tally of card balances. Otherwise
everyone would be disassembling and reverse-engineering these machines in
their living rooms.
miguel
Fasgrl2
and why the pass is better for some people.
Say you live in the city as I do...
my car stays parked weekdays, because I found a primo parking spot and if I
move my car I have to park a block away.
Well anyway...I tend to take the Metro to and from work.
But since I work downtown during the course of the day, I will do business by
metro ..Ie banking in Rosslyn
shopping at the shops downtown.
in the evening I may go to pentagon city or to the uptown movie theater.
basketball season is upon us so games at the MCI center.
so I pay 50 bucks to ride all I want in a two week period not caring if it is
rush hour or not.
Now...with Smart trip
to do the same thing it is gong to cost you rush hour fares in rush hour and at
least 1.10 it think in non rush hour.
even if you only go 1 or 2 stops.
so if you are a heavy metro user smart trip is only going to make metro rich.
But if you are a light user Ie..to and from work and your park at a metro
lot..smart trip is for you.
a even better perk would be if you parked at new carrollton and used smart trip
maybe one day they will let you not have to get a transfer ..in order to get
the discount rate.
lifes a journey: enjoy the pitstops and.....
maximize the straights O----O\>......
Talon Tsi AWD
Galant VR4 # 268/2000
Miguel Cruz
> a even better perk would be if you parked at new carrollton and used smart
> trip maybe one day they will let you not have to get a transfer ..in order
> to get the discount rate.
Reminds me of a question... if you use the short trip pass, can you hop on
and off the train (up the stairs, through the turnstile, and back down) to
avoid paying anything for a >$1.60 ride? At rush hour the trains are often
just 3 or 4 minutes apart, and you could save a substantial amount if you
have a long commute.
My commute is only $1.65, so it's not worth the nickel to me. Though I often
stop off to do some shopping on the way home, sometimes taking just a few
minutes, and it's never stopped me. But I wonder what the minimum interval
(if anything) is.
miguel
Fasgrl2
ie the 5 dollar one you can do this.
if you for example went to the machine and got a 3.00 fare card...you cannot
walk thru.
one day it was raining and I wanted to walk thru from farrugut west on the 18th
street side to farrgut west on 17th street.
I got charged. but with the ride all you want pass or the 5 dollar one that you
get after 9 am. I can do that all day long.
..
Derek Alexander Pillie
stations without a problem.
Fasgrl2 <fas...@aol.com> wrote:
: if you have a short trip pass ...
--
Derek Alexander Pillie http://gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~dpillie
dpi...@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu derek....@mail.house.gov
216 Brunswick Court 5100 Parklawn Terrace, Apt. #302
Lansdale, PA 19446 Rockville, MD 20852
(215) 412-3861 (301) 770-2155
Fasgrl2
the pretext is ride as much as you want so it does not care.
Samer Farha
the "To," "Cc," and "Newsgroups" headers for details. ]]
[POSTED & MAILED]
Hmmm... A bunch of questions... Here's what I know...
use...@admin.u.nu (Miguel Cruz) asked:
> 1) It costs $5? Do I get that back? Does it actually provide $5 worth of
> value?
It costs $5, and no, it does not provide anything other than the card.
You do not get the money back. Yes, I know, you are paying above and
beyond in order to use their system. A system which makes it easier and
less costly for them in the long run. Yes this pisses me off.
Unfortunately, the savings and the "cool new toy quotient" are enough
for me to pay the five bucks. But, just like banks and their ATM fees,
they sort of have the attitude that if you don't like it, you don't
have to use it.
use...@admin.u.nu (Miguel Cruz) also asked:
> Anyway, can this be used for unlimited-trip
> passes or only for stored value transactions?
Only for stored value. This makes it crap if you use the subway and the
bus service. Especially if you buy a two week pass. SmarTrip is not for
everyone. Specifically, it only really makes sense if you do short trip
Metro only to and from work.
My office will soon offer MetroCheck to us and SmarTrip will work with
that (just trade in your MetroCheck for SmarTrip dollars). Again, if
all you use is Metro and you are in the closer in suburbs where buying
a value farecard is not an option, then SmarTrip will work well for
you.
jdsin...@earthlink.net (jdsingleton) asked:
> I am curious as to your third downside, though. How would you add
> value to the cards on-line? The card has a registration number, if you
> go to a web site and entered the number, how would you add value to
> the card? It's the card that contains the info, right? The card
> doesn't signal back to some computer to check it's balance, does it?
As far as I know, you are correct. The card stores the value info, a
serial number, the station you got on at, and God knows what other bits
of info. When you add money, the FareCard machine tells the card how
much. When you exit a station, it calculates how much the trip cost and
then tells your card to deduct that number from the amount left (or,
more likely, will tell the card to store the new amount).
While the info is stored on the card, I would have to guess that
transaction information is stored and either sent immediately or
relayed at a later point to Metro. This would safegaurd against
forgeries and fraud. A smart card reader and writer is a fairly trivial
bit of machinery to get or even build, if you know where to look.
I'm sure Metro can tell you, to the penny, how much was on your card if
you call them and say that you lost it and want a replacement. I'm also
sure Metro would know a card has been tampred/added to illegaly, and
would have the means of turning the card off. Which brings me to your
main question: If they can deactivate a card at will, then they can
tell the gates to add money or do anything else to the card.
My scenario would be something like this: I call or use the web to add
$50 to my card which has $2.50 on it. Metro knows how much is on my
card. They send a signal to all turnstiles and farecard machines saying
if card # xxxx passes through, tell it to change the stored dollar
number to $57.50 (also giving me a 10% credit). When I go through the
gate, the value displayed to me would be $57.50. The appropriate fare
would be deducted. Bingo! Happy (though still suffering from the lack
of AC on the trains) customer.
jdsin...@earthlink.net (jdsingleton) continued:
> I agree, it would be nice to retrieve history information on-line.
> Again, however, I don't see how to do it.
Again, assuming the info is sent back to Metro for the aforementioned
security reasons, a simple secure access web site linked to Metro's
database should be easy enough to set up...
fas...@aol.com (Fasgrl2) commented:
> so if you are a heavy metro user smart trip is only going to make metro
> rich.
>
> But if you are a light user Ie..to and from work and your park at a
> metro lot..smart trip is for you.
Exactly. And even then it may still make Metro richer :)
NattyBoh
will let you switch between Farrigut North and West station during the time
its valid. The smart trip or the regular fare card will not let you do
this.
Derek Alexander Pillie wrote in message ...
>However, the two week pass will let you switch between the two Farragut
>stations without a problem.
(Message snipped to save space.)
John Whiteside
<resch...@millkern.com> wrote:
> Yeah, I really want to wade through articles from every person who's ever
> used a SmarTrip card and has access to the Internet. And then in my spare
> time I can browse through all the follow-ups from people who have "nothing
> to add," y'know?
So, like, who's holding a gun to your head and making you read it?
SereneBabe
>
> > I've got nothing to add, I just wanted to thank you for such a thorough
> > assessment of the SmarTrip card.
>
> > their experiences.
>
> > Y'know?
>
> used a SmarTrip card and has access to the Internet. And then in my spare
> time I can browse through all the follow-ups from people who have "nothing
> to add," y'know?
And yours was certainly a productive post, worth reading.
Why did you bother?
At least mine was kind.
I must say, I'm not to blame for the WADING THROUGH garbage necessary here in
this newsgroup, you ninny.
Don't like a subject? Skip the thread.
Negativity is a waste of energy.
Heather
****************
"It's All About Me!" a weekly column by SereneBabe
http://members.aol.com/serenebabe/index.html
June 9, 1999: "Community of Opportunity? ...Community of Rip-Offs"
guest column by Ben Blue
Miguel Cruz
> use...@admin.u.nu (Miguel Cruz) writes:
>> . . .In the beginning I figured I'd use it to go out in the
>> evenings, but of course the Metro has made sure it's useless for that by
>
> Wow, you sure take dinner late. But don't you find most restaurants and
> shops closed by midnight anyway?
New York habit. The early-closing thing is annoying too, though most of the
good places (of which there are precious few) do stay open reasonably late.
miguel
Miguel Cruz
>>> Wow, you sure take dinner late. But don't you find most restaurants and
>>> shops closed by midnight anyway?
>>
>
> Inasmuch as Washington isn't New York, why are you blaming Metro? Do you
> really think Metro should keep New York hours? Or are you just another
> drive-by Metro-basher? Or was it just the New Yorker's trash-anything
> attitude talking?
What's a drive-by Metro basher? I don't have a car and I use Metro every
day. That's how I've come to be so acquainted with its failings.
Do I think Metro should keep New York hours? Not directly. Do I think
Washington should keep New York hours? Yes. It makes life easier. It's all
part of the bigger sleepiness that makes Washington a boring place to live.
If the Metro doesn't run late, fewer people stay out late. I know I don't
stay out past Metro hours unless it's somewhere I can bike to, because
otherwise I'm stuck. Fewer people stay out late, fewer places open late. Et
cetera.
My perspective isn't particularly that of a New Yorker (though that's where
I moved from, so that's where my habits were most recently molded). I've
lived for extended periods of time in (alphabetical order) Amsterdam, Ann
Arbor, Athens, London, New Haven, New York, Riyadh, San Francisco, Sydney,
and now, Washington.
Each of these cities has something to offer. Each has aspects that make them
less desirable. Each reaches balance somewhere. New Haven's certainly the
worst of the bunch. Ahead of that, Washington and Riyadh are pretty much
tied. Riyadh is more affordable and has more interesting neighborhoods;
Washington has public transportation and we're allowed to wear shorts.
Then there's a huge gap. All the rest are heaps above in terms of what you
get for what you lose. One of the biggest problems I have with DC is its
deadly boringness, and the fact that everyone clears out so early is both a
cause and a symptom. That's all. DC and New Haven are actually the only
cities I've lived in where there is absolutely nothing to do after dark but
pay to participate in some sort of commercial entertainment activity (movie,
bar, restaurant).
> Maybe if New Yorkers got to bed at a decent hour they wouldn't be
> perpetually surly.
They are? Hadn't noticed.
miguel
wrob
>
> Do I think Metro should keep New York hours? Not directly. Do I think
> Washington should keep New York hours? Yes. It makes life easier. It's all
> part of the bigger sleepiness that makes Washington a boring place to live.
> If the Metro doesn't run late, fewer people stay out late. I know I don't
> stay out past Metro hours unless it's somewhere I can bike to, because
> otherwise I'm stuck. Fewer people stay out late, fewer places open late. Et
> cetera.
I would think that
Washington's sufficiently non-deadly boring at night that the Metro could
afford to stay open
an hour later. Remember, unlike NYork, Metro hasn't reached a critical mass yet
in terms of
accessible destinations. Sort of makes cities like Baltimore and Portland, OR
look like a biscuit.
>
> My perspective isn't particularly that of a New Yorker (though that's where
> I moved from, so that's where my habits were most recently molded). I've
> lived for extended periods of time in (alphabetical order) Amsterdam, Ann
> Arbor, Athens, London, New Haven, New York, Riyadh, San Francisco, Sydney,
> and now, Washington....
>
> Then there's a huge gap. All the rest are heaps above in terms of what you
> get for what you lose. One of the biggest problems I have with DC is its
> deadly boringness, and the fact that everyone clears out so early is both a
> cause and a symptom. That's all. DC and New Haven are actually the only
> cities I've lived in where there is absolutely nothing to do after dark but
> pay to participate in some sort of commercial entertainment activity (movie,
> bar, restaurant).
Then you definitely need to check out more members of the species (American
cities, that is.)
Also, placing Washington far below San Francisco and Sydney in after-hours
cultere is a bit of a stretch. San Francisco after hours just doesn't ring a
bell with me.
-BER
Miguel Cruz
>> DC and New Haven are actually the only cities I've lived in where there
>> is absolutely nothing to do after dark but pay to participate in some
>> sort of commercial entertainment activity (movie, bar, restaurant).
>
> Then you definitely need to check out more members of the species (American
> cities, that is.)
Sounds like a losing game to me! I live in more cities, have a lousy time,
just to prove you right? Hmmmph.
> Also, placing Washington far below San Francisco and Sydney in after-hours
> cultere is a bit of a stretch. San Francisco after hours just doesn't ring
> a bell with me.
Compared to here it oughtta ring a 14-foot gong. There are dozens of crowded
restaurants open all night (instead of what in DC - two Pakistani places and
a couple foofy white-napkin coffee joints), the supermarkets are open all
night, people hang out playing guitar and shooting the breeze. There are
more clubs and bars open late and more ways to get around (i.e., more
frequent and comprehensible bus service).
miguel
wrob
a frankly bizarre phenomenon brought on by DC's relatively recent transition to
Northern city. Hence the lack of an industrial working class (to staff those all
nite restaurants, I might add) and the lack of narrow, treeless streets (A trade
off in terms of urban vitality).
Remember, most American cities just don't have the option of staying up late
because they don't have the infrastructure. Even true in "urban planning
capital" Portland, OR, which makes DC look like Seattle at night.
My hometown rescinded its "dry laws" as late as the mid - eighties. These sorts
of outdated regulations play an unfortunate role, as do holdovers from
L'enfant-style development. For instance, the rights of way in Takoma DC are
twice as wide as in Takoma Park, MD where I live, though the streets are the
same size. Combined with the height limit, this discourages mid-rise development
that would otherwise have occured in DC as it did in other cities its size.
DC has relatively easygoing (read northern style) laws for vendors and cabbies,
hence is pretty strong in these suits. Don't worry, Tom Davis is working to
change that. Wonder why vendors on the Mall are such a scam? It's because the
federal institutions award a *fixed monopoly* to the hot-dog licenses. Oh, don't
worry, the bid process is competitive - the lowest bidder always wins
everything. Don't you love the unfettered free market?
Wonder why you don't see vendors selling beignets or fries? Frying is illegal
for vendors in DC as is vending within sight of the MCI center (!) Change the
laws, change the game.
-BER