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Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

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"

Thanks for the links. And I appreciate your hopefulness that it may not be long before MDP Metropass is migrated to Presto.

But the worrywart in me keeps noticing that in all the language from the TTC regarding the Presto and Metropass, there is no mention of migrating MDP customers. Expanding the program, new customers, best possible product and so on...but not migrating. Oh well.
 
Exactly as I was expecting, time-based transfers (along with a whole bunch of other approved programs) are not included in the draft 2018 budget.
 
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.

I don't think it requires any extra hardware. Buses already know what route they're on - that's how you get charged on a return bus trip within two hours. And York Region had no problem supporting their premium express fares right away.
 
That's terrible planning on Presto's part. There's no way it should require extra hardware to do that.
Changed with what? There's no input on the readers.

It's the input device that wasn't part of the initial roll-out.

Someone poorly designed their back end if they can't link the bus route to the fair to be charged through software alone.
All the buses to the fair are regular fare.

I don't think it requires any extra hardware. Buses already know what route they're on - that's how you get charged on a return bus trip within two hours. And York Region had no problem supporting their premium express fares right away.
Buses often don't know what route they are on. This was evident from the Presto transfers that the streetcars used to issue. York Region buses have extra equipment not on the TTC buses.
 
I don't think it requires any extra hardware. Buses already know what route they're on - that's how you get charged on a return bus trip within two hours. And York Region had no problem supporting their premium express fares right away.
My buddy told me there is a bug with the york region express routes. I believe he said if he takes a regular bus to catch the express bus, only the regular fare is charged.
 
Buses often don't know what route they are on. This was evident from the Presto transfers that the streetcars used to issue.

They definitely do. If you take the same bus route twice in two hours, you get charged twice. I believe streetcars do too, which is why there are occasionally complaints about streetcar transfers - operators sometimes put in the wrong route number on the old streetcars which causes transfers to not be recognized (from what I understand, this isn't an issue on new streetcars because Presto is linked to the system that displays the route).

My buddy told me there is a bug with the york region express routes. I believe he said if he takes a regular bus to catch the express bus, only the regular fare is charged.

Yeah. Presto allows transfers but doesn't allow an extra charge on the transfer. It's very rare for people to transfer to/from an express bus though (that's true in Toronto as well as York Region). What people do sometimes is tap the card readers for Viva at Finch before they get on an express bus.

Also, the extra fare doesn't work if you have a metropass. I think that may be a sticking point for the TTC - people who have a Metropass can't be charged the extra fare alone; they have to be charged the full $6.00 fare or nothing.
 
They definitely do. If you take the same bus route twice in two hours, you get charged twice. I believe streetcars do too, which is why there are occasionally complaints about streetcar transfers - operators sometimes put in the wrong route number on the old streetcars which causes transfers to not be recognized (from what I understand, this isn't an issue on new streetcars because Presto is linked to the system that displays the route).



Yeah. Presto allows transfers but doesn't allow an extra charge on the transfer. It's very rare for people to transfer to/from an express bus though (that's true in Toronto as well as York Region). What people do sometimes is tap the card readers for Viva at Finch before they get on an express bus.

Also, the extra fare doesn't work if you have a metropass. I think that may be a sticking point for the TTC - people who have a Metropass can't be charged the extra fare alone; they have to be charged the full $6.00 fare or nothing.

Im just an average joe, but can't they implement presto readers with buttons on express routes, then program the buttons for certain things? For example, Default - Full fare. Button 2 - Express Top-up (which the backend checks if there's a current fare paid or metro pass enabled) similar to how Viva use to do it with zone 1 and zone 2????
 
Im just an average joe, but can't they implement presto readers with buttons on express routes, then program the buttons for certain things? For example, Default - Full fare. Button 2 - Express Top-up (which the backend checks if there's a current fare paid or metro pass enabled) similar to how Viva use to do it with zone 1 and zone 2????

I don't know. Viva didn't do what you're describing though. They just let you pay one fare or the other. If you messed up you had to buy the $1.00 upgrade ticket.
 
Im just an average joe, but can't they implement presto readers with buttons on express routes, then program the buttons for certain things? For example, Default - Full fare. Button 2 - Express Top-up (which the backend checks if there's a current fare paid or metro pass enabled) similar to how Viva use to do it with zone 1 and zone 2????
Unfortunately, 1st generation Presto Readers are better than 2nd generation Presto Readers, in the front end that is.
 
Im just an average joe, but can't they implement presto readers with buttons on express routes, then program the buttons for certain things? For example, Default - Full fare. Button 2 - Express Top-up (which the backend checks if there's a current fare paid or metro pass enabled) similar to how Viva use to do it with zone 1 and zone 2????

That relies on the honour system for passengers to do it. Buses don't have fare inspectors. Going proof of payment has been determined to be prohibitively difficult and expensive on the bus network, and doing it on express buses only would still have lots of logistical difficulties and provide a very inconsistent set of rules for passengers to follow.
 
They definitely do. If you take the same bus route twice in two hours, you get charged twice.

I've definitely taken a return trip (Steeles East) and it counted as a transfer. Could be because the route has both express and local buses.
 
I have taken numerous return trips using the same streetcar that Presto counted as one trip. However, if I got off and then got on the same route going in the same direction, I was charged a second fare.
 
Since they can't seem to figure out how to get presto to work here, maybe it's time to just abolish that second fare which is ridiculous to begin with.
 
They definitely do. If you take the same bus route twice in two hours, you get charged twice.
Most of the time. Not when the vehicles don't know what route they are on.

I believe streetcars do too, which is why there are occasionally complaints about streetcar transfers - operators sometimes put in the wrong route number on the old streetcars which causes transfers to not be recognized
Input into what? They haven't got the input devices yet. You are theorizing here.

Im just an average joe, but can't they implement presto readers with buttons on express routes, then program the buttons for certain things? For example, Default - Full fare. Button 2 - Express Top-up (which the backend checks if there's a current fare paid or metro pass enabled) similar to how Viva use to do it with zone 1 and zone 2????
They can get express routes to work, once they finish implementing Presto.,
 
Here's my latest oddity.
Transfer is correct, but the location was certainly not Queensway garage. It was actually Old Mill Subway. This can't be a one-of error, must have been affecting every card tapped on this bus, probably since the start of shift.
The irony being, I watched this bus (66) come all the way up Prince Edward to the subway, on my phone, using Nextbus. Apparently Nextbus can know where my bus is, but the Presto reader on the bus doesn't.
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- Paul
 

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