new monthly "charlie" ticket/pass

Will the Charlie Cards be the "touch" type like Chicago and London, or more like the passes now?
I know it's linked to your bank account, but why does the technology, according to Grabauskus, "have" to log where you get on and off?
Surely the software had to be written that way on purpose.
I can see it in London, as they have zones, and you can travel in and out of them, which changes your fare price, but it's not really needed here.
And what about the Charlie Ticket that's not a pass? If the money is spent, does the gate keep the used card, like London, or does it come back out to be dropped on the floor or ground by idiots who think it's someone else's job to pick up after them (much like people with their metro's left behind)?

The Charlie Card is a touch or proximity card. You just place it on or very close to the "target" and the gate opens. It is not inserted in any device.

Don't know if some of the newspapers gave the wrong info, but... you only use it to get on the system, unless you are at a station that has exit fares, like on the south shore Red Line. They will only track people entering the system. If you don't want to be tracked, it's as simple as not giving your info when you get a Charlie Card or, if you want to be able to retreive the balance on a lost card, buying a one time Charlie Ticket for that ride.

The T opted not to have a ticket disposal in the Charlie Gates as they believe that most people will use the Charlie Card. The gates initially were configured to open as soon as the ticket (or pass) was inserted. Too many people were leaving their monthly passes in the machine, so the other option was used. You now insert your Charlie Ticket into the machine, it spits it out, you remove it and the gates will open.

Regarding John's concern on Commuter Rail, currently the only customers that have Charlie Cards are seniors and holder of transportation access passes (discounted fares.) If they wish to get a monthly pass, they go to the vending machine and tap the Card. They get a separate screen were they buy a monthly on a Charlie Ticket. This is used as flash card in unconverted stations. Perhaps, this may be used on Commuter Rail as well. The Charlie Card could be used in the subway and bus, and a flash ticket (that won't have any access to subway/bus) would be used for "Zoned" people. We'll see what they decide.

I guess my point is that while you have to give your personal info to have the card linked to your bank, there is no reason for them to keep any tabs on when you entered the station. It should deduct from your account and let you through and be erased immediately from the T database. I'm positive they could do it that way.

Well, I had to use the new pass for the first time tonight, and the conductor insisted on seeing both sides of it -- made me take it out of my wallet (I used to just flash it)...

They could have designed it better, but it seems like they didn't want to pay for more than one color on the second side. Might it be solved by adding a second color and changing it each month, and maybe a different image each month too?

Every conductor I've talked to have been told to look at both sides. They have been warning people who have them in wallets or badges around there neck that next month, they will need to be taken out and shown both sides.

I guess it will slow down ticket collections.

Ok, while the topic says "monthly", I have to ask something about the weekly passes.

According to another passenger I saw on the T, the weekly passes are still unchanged. Seeing I didn't get a monthly combo pass as I didn't need one this month, and that I DO need a weekly pass for the first week of my new semester at UMass (Jan 23), will I be able to use the weekly at Wonderland?

You'll deffinitly be able to use it at wonderland though you probably can't insert it into the new faregates. You'll probably have to track down a CSA to let you in manually.

Ok, I'll try that. Thanks.

The new ticket system sounds like a good idea- I tried it for the first time at Aquarium station a few nights ago. Sleek faregate, but I worry about vandalism, what with the thin plastic doors.

I can't wait for the introduction of real MBTA visitor passes that work in turnstiles and fareboxes, instead of those 'instant lottery ticket' versions they've been using.

Jim

You know what needs to be done right w/ those Charlie passes? They need to be given a color for every month. And it should say Bus, Subway, Combo, whatsoever on the front of the pass. Just like the original passes. What is the T thinking? They make all bus, subway, and combo passes identical.

trider2066 wrote:You know what needs to be done right w/ those Charlie passes? They need to be given a color for every month. And it should say Bus, Subway, Combo, whatsoever on the front of the pass. Just like the original passes. What is the T thinking? They make all bus, subway, and combo passes identical.

They changed the passes so that they would be identical to the passes sold at Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) at the converted stations. Now, and concieveably forever, you can buy a monthly pass at a TVM at any converted station. The TVM just prints the pass on the standard Charlie Ticket stock that it has. Once most stations are converted, that will concievably become the primary way for general pass sales.

I'm sure that stocking the TVMs with multiple types of ticket stock, all of which have to be rotated each month, is simply not practical. Thus, the new passes. You could argue that the passes distributed through the regular channels could still be changed, but then you'd have two different versions of each pass each month, which would probably be even more confusing.

Keep in mind that this is a transition year. Hopefully, even at T speed, by this time next year we'll be talking about the introduction of Charlie Cards, which will completely change pass buying. So, is it confusing, yes, but this is just one phase in a larger process.

Personally, I'm hoping for an end to monthly passes when Charlie comes online. They should be replaced with a 30-day pass for slackers like me who always forget to buy a pass on time!