SEPTA NPT card will be "SEPTA Key"?

ExCon90 wrote:As long as you have a rotary-dial phone and use a fountain pen, you're OK. A friend of mine used to say it was a better world when we all used carbon paper.

ha! that is an eerily accurate description, i actually do use carbon paper!!!

Before the this thread begins evaluating the pros and cons of abacuses (abacai?) vs knots in a rope, let's keep it on the SEPTA Key / NPT technology.

Part of me feels like a very early draft graphic was simply leaked, but I can't remember the last time SEPTA had something disappointingly lame/disappointing leak and not have it eventually come to pass (elimination of R's, AT&T, Jefferson).

I couldn't find any relevant copyright for "key" or "key card", but a trademark for "key" got a notice of allowance last month - awarded to SEPTA, who filed in July 2013. http://www.trademarkia.com/key-86011728.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well... this confirms the name
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/t ... ystem.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

SEPTA's long-delayed, $130-million smart-card payment system will be called SEPTA Key, the agency announced Thursday.

Like Ben Franklin's key. Get it?

SEPTA Key FAQ -- http://www.septa.org/key/faq.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Any projected launch date yet? Or are the technical barriers still impermeable?

JeffersonLeeEng wrote:SEPTA Key FAQ -- http://www.septa.org/key/faq.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Quite the interesting read. I'm glad to see they're keeping monthly/weekly/daily passes in addition to introducing a "pay-as-you go" system. The biggest mistake Transport NSW made here in Sydney with tap-cards is getting rid of monthly/quarterly/yearly passes.

Are there any updates on when the new fare system will be going into use? Some news articles from 2013 stated that the system would be getting installed in the spring of 2014 and we're a year later and still nothing. Is Xerox still working on the project?

This PlanPhilly article from Feb 25 http://planphilly.com/articles/2015/02/ ... ional-rail says "“Testing will be going on for the next couple of months,” says Kevin O’Brien, Senior Program Manager for SEPTA Key." and "By O’Brien’s count, the project is currently 16 months behind schedule."

So in other words, the project has problems that have not been resolved yet, so paper transfers, tokens and tickets will be with us for the foreseeable future.

bikentransit wrote:So in other words, the project has problems that have not been resolved yet, so paper transfers, tokens and tickets will be with us for the foreseeable future.

BNT (and Everyone):

The entire NPT system is going to be a huge change for SEPTA riders and it will need to be phased in gradually
and I give SEPTA credit for admitting that they are behind schedule and that their prime goal is to get it right and
not experience the problems that Chicago had being a good example with their new Ventra payment system on
the CTA...Metra and PACE are going to be integrated into the Ventra system eventually...

See: http://mashable.com/2013/12/17/chicago-ventra/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; "Chicago's new Smart Cards make commuting even harder"

I feel if SEPTA goes and rushes the NPT system too quickly into service without the major "bugs" taken out they
will get a wrath and backlash loud and clear from angry commuters if there are significant problems with NPT...

With major events like the World Meeting of Families/Papal Visit week only slightly over six months away I think
that SEPTA will at least wait until October to announce any significant changes concerning NPT and I feel that
this is the right move - not subjecting the multitudes of visitors - let alone regular riders - to a new payment type
system that almost no one will be already familiar with...

There is still the issues on just how the Regional Rail system will get NPT phased in and I am not alone in my
thoughts of being against gating the Center City stations in favor of a Proof of Payment based system...
I think that sometime in 2016 is very optomistic and when the decisions on the RRD are made 2017 seems
somewhat more likely noting how huge this project is going to be for the RRD alone...

Most regular riders use the current Trail and Transpass types which are among the most flexible use passes
sold by any transit system - keeping the option of monthly and weekly passes is a good move under NPT but
any move to limit or "cap" their use - and how transfers between modes will be counted for rides - is going to
only cause problems depending of how these are eventually administered...

The current tickets (RRD), tokens and transfers have worked for generations well but unless the technology to
properly replace them works correctly this in itself - angering SEPTA's loyal cash payers is going to be a major
problem for SEPTA...

In closing lets all hope that SEPTA gets NPT right the first time - millions of SEPTA riders WILL be watching...

MACTRAXX