AC Transit, Golden Gate ferry, bus to adopt regional transit...

AC Transit, Golden Gate ferry, bus to adopt regional transit pass Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer Tuesday, August 28, 2007 Printable Version Email This Article delicious del.icio.us digg Digg technorati Technorati reddit Reddit slashdot Slashdot newsvine Newsvine google Google Bookmarks (4) Georgia (default) Verdana Times New Roman Arial (08-27) 16:55 PDT Oakland -- AC Transit and the Golden Gate ferry and bus service will make the TransLink regional transit pass available to the public starting Sept. 17, Bay Area transportation officials announced Monday. If the service works as expected, it will be a milestone for the $130 million TransLink program, envisioned decades ago as a way to link multiple agencies by allowing riders to use one fare card. A series of software problems, mechanical glitches and jurisdictional and funding challenges have delayed implementation of the project. The program eventually will allow Bay Area transit riders to use one prepaid fare card on any of the 26 participating transit systems. Fares are automatically deducted every time a rider uses the card, which is embedded with a computer chip. Cardholders can reload their cards, much like the way drivers use the FasTrak program on Bay Area toll bridges. AC Transit and the Golden Gate ferry and bus operation have been testing the smart-card program with a select group of riders. Representatives from the two agencies said Monday that they are confident that the new fare-collection system is reliable enough for a full-blown introduction next month. Currently, TransLink is recording an average of 4,900 weekday boardings - 2,200 on Golden Gate Transit, 1,700 on Golden Gate Ferry and 880 on AC Transit. An additional 110 riders use the cards on Muni's light-rail system, which never removed the card-readers after a short-lived test run in 2002. The system provides benefits for passengers and the agencies involved, said Mary Currie, spokeswoman for the Golden Gate bus and ferry system. For participating riders, it means faster boarding, no more fumbling for correct change and more convenience when using multiple transit systems. For administrators it means a more accurate accounting system and a chance to reduce the amount of cash that is handled. After AC Transit and the Golden Gate bus and ferry system, TransLink will be introduced on BART, the entire Muni fleet and Caltrain. That is supposed to happen in December, although some transit experts working on the project say that date is overly ambitious. The goal is to have the complete TransLink system running on all the carriers by 2010. Steve Heminger, executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the regional agency coordinating the program, said the announced implementation date for AC Transit and Golden Gate ferries and buses signals welcome progress. "Two down, and many more to go," he said.