News   Nov 29, 2024
33-Storey St Catharines Tower Would Retain Masonic Temple
 322     0 
News   Nov 29, 2024
Sapphire Extending Balcony Lifespan With Prefabricated Solutions
 199     0 
News   Nov 29, 2024
News Roundup for November 29, 2024
 347     0 

Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

jameskoole said:
The whole new card process is terrible. I bought one online, preloaded it with $25, got it delivered. Registered it and it says to tap against any Presto device to activate. Tried it today (about a week after I registered it, well within the 30 days) and it was "declined". Went to King Station and the kiosk says it's registered, active and has $25 on it. Just checked online in my account and it still shows as "
Status: ActivationInProcess" and advises me to tap it against any Presto device to activate it.

Surely this system can be closer to real time? I get that we're in the early adopter stage here, but there are so many flaws in this rollout.
Click to expand...
That sounds odd. I'd recommend taking it into Union Station (GO) and asking them to check it out there. Perhaps tap on one of the account balance machines there - perhaps that will push the registration, if it's related to a problem with the new TTC equipment.

We are well past early adopter stage for this type of stuff.

jameskoole said:
Oh, and the prestocard.ca site not being mobile ready is crazy. There needs to be an app on iOS and Android, or at least the site should be mobile responsive. We're talking about a system used by commuters.
Click to expand...
They were testing a new website many months ago. So a change is coming - not sure when though.
 
jameskoole said:
Went to King Station and the kiosk says it's registered, active and has $25 on it. Just checked online in my account and it still shows as "Status: ActivationInProcess" and advises me to tap it against any Presto device to activate it.
Click to expand...

I've found some TTC kiosks are not yet networked (College station) and others are (Museum station and Bloor faregates). So, push updates from the website to the card can occur on some devices and not others.

I assume Metrolinx is going to network connect all devices at some point. Who can tell when that might be; doing the network in some TTC stations is going to be a nightmare starting with asbestos removal.
 
I'm giving Metrolinx the benefit of the doubt here, assuming the TTC isn't the easiest to work with for big changes like switching fare payment systems. I'm hoping when I wake up tomorrow I'll have an activated card I can use to board a streetcar to get to work instead of having to use a backup token.
 
jameskoole said:
Oh, and the prestocard.ca site not being mobile ready is crazy. There needs to be an app on iOS and Android, or at least the site should be mobile responsive. We're talking about a system used by commuters.
Click to expand...
I agree. The fact there has been no app for years is frustrating. There is a 3rd party app however that lets you tap the card against your Android and check your balance. I'm not sure if it is available for the IPhone.

I had read somewhere before that if PrestoCard were to have an official app, it may eliminate the need to have a card all together, if you could just pay with your phone. I can see this coming in the long-term.
 
rbt said:
I've found some TTC kiosks are not yet networked (College station) and others are (Museum station and Bloor faregates). So, push updates from the website to the card can occur on some devices and not others.

I assume Metrolinx is going to network connect all devices at some point. Who can tell when that might be; doing the network in some TTC stations is going to be a nightmare starting with asbestos removal.
Click to expand...
I had a bunch of problems with this and getting autoload set up. Every time the customer service tried something they told me to wait 24 hours, tap, and then see if it fixed it. Just no ability to diagnose and repair in real time.
 
TheTigerMaster said:
The process to sign up, if I recall correctly, was:

1. Register the card on the website using the code on the card. It took me many tries to get this right. I'm not sure what the problem was, but I recall being very confused.

2. Wait 24 hours. You can't use your Presto card during this time.

3. Get an email from them and sign up with username and password.

4. Activate the card by tapping on a Presto kiosk within 7 days (or was it 30 days?), or the card will be deactivated.

(It was some variation of these steps)

There is so much wrong with this. I can't believe somebody approved this crap. Especially the 24 hour wait and having to tap to activate within x number of days.
Click to expand...

when I activated mine a couple months ago ( I needed to get from downtown to the dundas west area when the subway was closed and didn't want to bother with shuttle buses so I got one at the UPX.) Most of those steps are correct,. I had to put in my email address the number of the card and my user name. It then said I needed to got to a preto kiosk, or balance check machine within the next 24 hours to complete the registration. From what I can understand from the site is every machine connects to the main presto system everyday at some point either continuously with the hard wired machines or when a vehicle returns to a yrd. Every tap in the system is then processed and associated with the correct accounts.
 
nfitz said:
As far as I know, there won't be any more stations coming on line until they have finished ironing out the kinks with the new fare gates - and the first installation is Main Street in 2-3 months or so.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I noticed the sign mentioning work at Sherbourne to set up Wifi and Presto was removed today. Wifi is up and running at the station now, but no Presto. Is there a schedule for the remaining subway stations? Or at least an idea of which stations will be first?
 
Checked this morning and my card showed as active. I was able to setup autoload and then successfully tapped on a 504 streetcar. Took an extra day, but I'm up and running. I guess the kiosks at King Station aren't connected and do an upload or something overnight.

I saw Mr. Byford on CP24 yesterday and he was encouraging "everyone" to go get a Presto card and start using it. Based on my experience, and with all the non-Presto-ready buses and subway stations out there, I think that is a bit premature. Better would be to call this a beta period and really set expectations properly with users.

Going in I knew this would take some work to get set up. The average rider coming from tokens or a Metropass will expect things to just work. It doesn't right now thanks to the complexity of the system and the challenges of rolling it out, and that will lead to an overall perception that Presto is bad.
 
I have one of the first gen cards still, do I need to upgrade it at some point? It worked when I was in Ottawa which I believe has gen 2 readers and I'd rather not pay the $6.
 
P23 said:
I have one of the first gen cards still, do I need to upgrade it at some point? It worked when I was in Ottawa which I believe has gen 2 readers and I'd rather not pay the $6.
Click to expand...
No ... mine is almost 6-years old now ... still works fine. Somehow they've managed to continue supporting them. And they've also changed the policy about expiration, simply now being the end of the warranty period, instead of the time to replace.
 
Riverdale Rink Rat said:
Presto failed me today as Donlands is not Presto-ready. Had to buy tokens.
Click to expand...

Luckily now on the way home I can get on a streetcar and take it to a subway station, but on the way to work I unfortunately still buy tokens as my station doesn't accept Presto. Still glad my tokens last me twice as long now though.
 
I have to say, I'm really surprised at the quick uptake in Presto usage. For the deep winter I have to shift my bike commute to TTC, so I'm on a pass now, but I've noticed quite a few people tapping Presto cards on the College streetcar, especially with the rear door boarding. I'll also say that it seems the route has been sped up a lot, although that's probably a combination of all-door boarding and extended no stopping, as my commute is usually timed about when rush hour rules ended previously. Kudos to the TTC for entering the modern era of fare payment.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top