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Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

It's nice to see PRESTO bring in some common sense to transit fares in the GTA (2-hour transfers, GO-TTC discount, etc.). I'd still like to see the TTC take a "progressive discount" approach to monthly passes similar to how GO fares work (rides becoming free towards the end of the month once you've hit the magic number of trips, etc.).
 
Was on one of those TTC Premium Express routes for the first time today. Apparently some people keep 2 Presto cards to pay the double fare!
 
TransitBart said:
Why would one do that?
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Your choices on express routes, assuming you are a regular rider (not occasional cash fare) but not regular enough to warrant a metropass with a downtown express sticker, are A) pay with 2 presto cards, B) pay with 1 presto card and a token/ticket, C) pay with 2 tokens/tickets.
 
I'd wonder if they'd go for that.

I keep a spare around for guests, so easy enough. Though I've got a small supply of tokens still to use at some point.
 
Megaton327 said:
Your choices on express routes, assuming you are a regular rider (not occasional cash fare) but not regular enough to warrant a metropass with a downtown express sticker, are A) pay with 2 presto cards, B) pay with 1 presto card and a token/ticket, C) pay with 2 tokens/tickets.
Click to expand...
The software can't take 2 fares with one tap on an Express bus? Now I believe that MLinx requires $5.0M to upgrade to a 2 hour transfer. This is loopy.
 
nfitz said:
The need additional hardware to tell the reader it's on the express route, that isn't scheduled for implementation yet.
Click to expand...

That's terrible planning on Presto's part. There's no way it should require extra hardware to do that. Someone poorly designed their back end if they can't link the bus route to the fair to be charged through software alone.
 
ttk77 said:
That's terrible planning on Presto's part. There's no way it should require extra hardware to do that. Someone poorly designed their back end if they can't link the bus route to the fair to be charged through software alone.
Click to expand...

What you call a bug is probably a feature from Accenture's perspective.

AoD
 
DKsan said:
TTC has enabled auto-renewing Metropass on PRESTO. Every other system on PRESTO has allowed that for a few months.

Also, and they haven't advertised it yet, the MDP replacement, the TTC "Twelve Month" Pass is enabled on the PRESTO website.
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It was available, but as of today (Nov 29) it seems to have disappeared.

I called the TTC MDP Office (very long hold, nice Christmas music from the radio tho) and was informed that they (staff) have not been informed of the switchover yet as they are still installing the Presto gates and have to make sure the system is operating properly. I told her that the MDP Presto option was enabled yesterday, and she had no knowledge of that and claimed it could have been a glitch.

My headache is that come early February, all Yonge and Sheppard entrances will be Presto enabled, but only the main entrance will be accessible via Metropass. Which means the current entrance I use will become inaccessible.

The MDP rep was sympathetic, but claimed that there are no known plans to switch MDP customers over.

It will only add a couple of minutes to my walking to the subway time, but it is annoying.

EDIT: Correct my accidental use of Presto when I meant Metropass
 
Last edited:
mkerian said:
It was available, but as of today (Nov 29) it seems to have disappeared.

I called the TTC MDP Office (very long hold, nice Christmas music from the radio tho) and was informed that they (staff) have not been informed of the switchover yet as they are still installing the Presto gates and have to make sure the system is operating properly. I told her that the MDP Presto option was enabled yesterday, and she had no knowledge of that and claimed it could have been a glitch.

My headache is that come early February, all Yonge and Sheppard entrances will be Presto enabled, but only the main entrance will be accessible via Presto. Which means the current entrance I use will become inaccessible.

The MDP rep was sympathetic, but claimed that there are no known plans to switch MDP customers over.

It will only add a couple of minutes to my walking to the subway time, but it is annoying.
Click to expand...

1) The TTC publicly stated that they released the Presto annual pass in limited quantities to test it out and troubleshoot it before deploying it widely. They took signups from a small number of people then removed it. This is exactly what happened with the first couple of months of metropasses.

2) I'm confused about what you're saying about stations. You said "all Yonge and Sheppard entrances will be Presto enabled", then "but only the main entrance will be accessible via Presto". That makes no sense. Did you mean to say that only the main entrance will be accessible via Metropass? I think that's what you were trying to say, being a MDP customer. But I'm not sure that statement is correct either--as far as I know, almost every faregate entrance, not just main ones, has at least one Metropass gate. Only a couple of very, very small entrances so far lack metropass readers entirely, it's extremely rare.
 
Megaton327 said:
1) The TTC publicly stated that they released the Presto annual pass in limited quantities to test it out and troubleshoot it before deploying it widely. They took signups from a small number of people then removed it. This is exactly what happened with the first couple of months of metropasses.

2) I'm confused about what you're saying about stations. You said "all Yonge and Sheppard entrances will be Presto enabled", then "but only the main entrance will be accessible via Presto". That makes no sense. Did you mean to say that only the main entrance will be accessible via Metropass? I think that's what you were trying to say, being a MDP customer. But I'm not sure that statement is correct either--as far as I know, almost every faregate entrance, not just main ones, has at least one Metropass gate. Only a couple of very, very small entrances so far lack metropass readers entirely, it's extremely rare.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I made an error. I meant to say that "only the main entrance will be accessible via Metropass".

Here's the link to the TTC's statement. http://www.ttc.ca/Fares_and_passes/PRESTO/Sheppard-Yonge.jsp

The main entrance will be accessible via Metropass and Presto. The Poyntz, Harlandale, and Sheppard West entrances will only be accessible via Presto.

I also made an error in that Hullmark entrance will be Metropass and Presto, but for me that entrance is farther than the main entrance. A small gripe I know. Still, 3 out 5 five entrances will be inaccessible except via Presto. Which I'm ok with, if I had the ability to switch over to MDP Presto.

In regards to the TTC's public statement on Presto MDP, I missed that. Can you share the link?
 
mkerian said:
Thanks, I made an error. I meant to say that "only the main entrance will be accessible via Metropass".

Here's the link to the TTC's statement. http://www.ttc.ca/Fares_and_passes/PRESTO/Sheppard-Yonge.jsp

The main entrance will be accessible via Metropass and Presto. The Poyntz, Harlandale, and Sheppard West entrances will only be accessible via Presto.

I also made an error in that Hullmark entrance will be Metropass and Presto, but for me that entrance is farther than the main entrance. A small gripe I know. Still, 3 out 5 five entrances will be inaccessible except via Presto. Which I'm ok with, if I had the ability to switch over to MDP Presto.

In regards to the TTC's public statement on Presto MDP, I missed that. Can you share the link?
Click to expand...

Wow, that's a first regarding Presto-only at multiple non-tiny entrances of a major station. Yikes. I'd be displeased if I was an MDP customer...then again it reeeeally looks like they're a couple of months away from migrating you folks over, so it's not for long, at least.

As for the Presto MDP, from Presto's twitter account https://twitter.com/PRESTOcard/status/935218692576641024 "The number of passes is being limited right now to give us and the TTC the opportunity to test out the pass to ensure we can provide the best possible product to our customers when we before we expand the program. When we do expand it, we will update."

Also from Heather Brown at the TTC https://twitter.com/hmacmillanbrown/status/935213653027991552 "Over the coming months the number of 12 Month Passes on PRESTO (MDP equivalent) will be increased"
 
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