Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

[SaugeenJunction]

The Hamilton bike-share system “Sobi” now is Presto-enabled. This is awesome, and I wish we saw more of this functionality across the GTHA.

https://www.thesil.ca/new-sobi-presto-program

 

[Megaton327]

The Hamilton bike-share system “Sobi” now is Presto-enabled. This is awesome, and I wish we saw more of this functionality across the GTHA.

https://www.thesil.ca/new-sobi-presto-program

To clarify for anyone not interested in reading the full article, it is exactly as @mdrejhon reported recently - you can now link your Presto card to your account and tap your card to expedite the bike unlocking process. You are not actually paying with the Presto card, it is just being used to identify you--you still need an account with a payment method linked as before. Still handy, but I'd like to see SoBi--and BikeShare Toronto for that matter--support having any Presto card holder without an account just walk up and tap their card to rent a bike, though the logistics (namely a security deposit for the bike) are difficult.

 

[allabootmatt]

The Hamilton bike-share system “Sobi” now is Presto-enabled. This is awesome, and I wish we saw more of this functionality across the GTHA.

https://www.thesil.ca/new-sobi-presto-program

An absolute best practice. Paris’s integration of Velib with transit passes is a huge force-multiplier for the bike network, making it way easier to use.

 

[steveintoronto]

To clarify for anyone not interested in reading the full article, it is exactly as @mdrejhon reported recently - you can now link your Presto card to your account and tap your card to expedite the bike unlocking process. You are not actually paying with the Presto card, it is just being used to identify you--you still need an account with a payment method linked as before. Still handy, but I'd like to see SoBi--and BikeShare Toronto for that matter--support having any Presto card holder without an account just walk up and tap their card to rent a bike, though the logistics (namely a security deposit for the bike) are difficult.

For various reasons, I'm barely inclined to use a BikeShare, but the disincentive that stops me from taking a ride just out of curiosity is as you describe. I'm sure that disincentive applies to a lot of folks, ones who wouldn't find the machines lumbering and encumbent as I do.

 

[salsa]

 

[steveintoronto]

[...]

Yikes...

 

[cplchanb]

on a side note, when will all door boarding start to happen? please dont tell me that ttc spent millions on rear door readers just to get cold feet.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

on a side note, when will all door boarding start to happen? please dont tell me that ttc spent millions on rear door readers just to get cold feet.

They do but only on streetcars, I doubt we will ever see all-door boarding on a bus if it isn't operating as streetcar shuttle/ replacement.

 

[amnesiajune]

On a side note, when will all door boarding start to happen?

Not anytime soon. There are some proposals to allow all-door boarding on the rocket bus routes, but that's it.

 

[nfitz]

on a side note, when will all door boarding start to happen? please dont tell me that ttc spent millions on rear door readers just to get cold feet.

On the buses? It's never been planned. Not sure why you think it is.

The rear readers are for when they are used on existing 500-series POP routes (buses currently scheduled on 501, 502, 503, 504, and 511), and for fare-paid zones after they start requiring tap-out at subway stations.

 

[cplchanb]

On the buses? It's never been planned. Not sure why you think it is.

The rear readers are for when they are used on existing 500-series POP routes (buses currently scheduled on 501, 502, 503, 504, and 511), and for fare-paid zones after they start requiring tap-out at subway stations.

hmmm fair enough....just seem counter intuitive to equip 1500 buses for something that a couple hundred can do on a temporary basis.

 

[amnesiajune]

The rear readers are for when they are used on existing 500-series POP routes (buses currently scheduled on 501, 502, 503, 504, and 511), and for fare-paid zones after they start requiring tap-out at subway stations.

I've had to say this way too much: there is no plan to start requiring subway tap-offs at any point in the future.

The second and third readers were just put in for contingency, so that they won't be an obstacle if the TTC does want to move the bus system to POP. It doesn't cost much so there's no reason not to.

 

[Voltz]

I've had to say this way too much: there is no plan to start requiring subway tap-offs at any point in the future.

Then why was it approved by the board?

 

[nfitz]

hmmm fair enough....just seem counter intuitive to equip 1500 buses for something that a couple hundred can do on a temporary basis.

Couple of hundred? Which bus doesn't stop in a fare-paid area?

I've had to say this way too much: there is no plan to start requiring subway tap-offs at any point in the future.

And then I point out that you are wrong, and point to the decision TTC made to start requiring subway tap-offs, and then you don't reply ... and then the whole thing starts again.

But here it is again. Item 1c). Approved December 16, 2015 - about 23 months ago. See http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Com...ive_Officers_Report_ December_2015_Update.pdf

The second and third readers were just put in for contingency, so that they won't be an obstacle if the TTC does want to move the bus system to POP.

Do you have a reference to support that? They may well change their mind about subway tap-off - heck maybe they have already - but at the time they decided to put them at all doors, they were planning to require tap-offs at subway stations.

 

[rbt]

Then why was it approved by the board?

It was approved by the Metrolinx board (who is paying for the installation) because that's what the TTC contract required.

That said, given the number of device failures, Metrolinx would struggle to meet availability targets with a single device on each vehicle.