Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Upcoming Vote on Bay Area Single Transit Ticket System

CONTACT:

Marjorie Blackwell
510/464-7884

Russell Driver
510/464-7808

Oakland, Calif., May 18, 1999 . . . The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) soon may take a major step toward creating a single ticket system for use on all Bay Area transit systems. At its meeting on May 26, 1999, the Commission is scheduled to vote on whether to award a 10-year contract to a consortium led by Motorola, Inc. to develop, operate and maintain a smart-card system called TransLink®.

If the Commission agrees with the contract recommended by an MTC committee, the nine-county Bay Area could become first in the nation to have a universal transit ticket for use on all forms of public transit in the region: buses, trains and ferries. Public transit systems in both Hong Kong and Seoul, Korea use smart-card tickets.

Motorola, Inc. and ERG Limited will then begin immediately to design, fabricate and install equipment and set up transaction processing, operator support and customer services for the state-of-the-art TransLink® system.

The contract calls for an initial six-month demonstration, beginning in fall 2000, on selected routes of AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, San Francisco Muni and (Santa Clara) Valley Transportation Authority.

"If the demonstration is successful, MTC and the transit operators will then decide whether to proceed with full rollout of the system, which could begin regionwide by 2001," said Lawrence Dahms, MTC executive director.

Dahms noted that in a random phone survey of Bay Area registered voters, more than three fourths of the respondents ranked a universal transit ticket as tops among their desired transit improvements. "TransLink® could provide the kind of seamless access to all Bay Area transit that riders want," Dahms said. "It would mean no more having to carry exact change, wait in line to buy tickets or keep track of complicated fare structures."

How TransLink® Works

The proposed TransLink® system uses "smart card" technology. Transit riders will purchase a durable plastic card embedded with a computer chip that they "load" with a dollar value, stored rides or time-period passes. They then need only to flash the card in front of an electronic reader device located on transit vehicles, in stations or at faregates, and the correct fare value is deducted automatically from the card. TransLink® will be able to factor in a host of variables when calculating fares, including different fare structures for every transit operator, transfers, routes, length of trips, time of day and discounts for students, elderly and disabled riders.

In the future, TransLink® cards may be accepted at parking lots, parking meters, taxis and public telephones, and possibly for retail purchases. In fact, the demonstration program may include testing the TransLink® cards at selected downtown San Francisco parking garages.

Dahms said the TransLink® system also would benefit transit agencies. "A central computer system will be set up to handle all transactions and distribute payments to transit agencies on a daily basis. Passenger entry on transit vehicles and through faregates would be faster with a TransLink® card. And since the system will record every transaction, the agencies will have a comprehensive database for planning services, marketing and financial accounting."

MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county Bay Area. Motorola, Inc. is a leading provider of wireless communications semiconductors, advanced electronic systems and related services. ERG Limited, headquartered in Australia, is an experienced supplier of automated fare collection systems.

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