The WMATA in Washington, DC, never bothered with MetroCard technology. They went from fare cards straight to SmarTrip cards, an RFID-powered chip that allows for contactless payment. You don’t have wait to swipe the card.
On buses, these SmarTrip cards are particularly useful because the technology allows for a one-touch fare pass-through. No more waiting for someone to figure out how to dip a MetroCard into the reader. (Hint: Follow the arrows, genius.)
Well, the MTA is finally hopping on board the smart card technology train. After a successful pilot program on the Lexington Ave. line incorporating the Mastercard Blink technology, the Authority is ready to try out smart cards on buses. amNY has more:
Rides would be automatically deducted from credit or debit cards, but MTA officials are still figuring out how to incorporate existing MetroCard features, such as monthly passes and transfers, onto the smart card…
“It works on the Lexington line,” said MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin. “The purpose of the extension is to learn how it would work in a wider usage. There is still a lot to be learned.”
No word yet on which buses are going to be adopted this technology first, but the more, the merrier, I say. There’s nothing quite so irritating waiting on line at a bus stop as someone attempts to put a MetroCard into the reader backwards and upside-down.
Leave a Reply