On 21/01/2012 11:37, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 23:55:31 on Fri, 20
Jan 2012, " remarked:
That's easier if there are a finite number of players (eg TfL and half a
dozen "Network Southeast area" National Rail companies). Scaling it to
numerous authorities operating independent bridges could be a problem.
Imagine a different operator was charging tolls for every road bridge
from Tower Bridge to Windsor.

I wasn't talking about bridges, I was referring to transport.

My model was hypothesising about TfL running all the London Toll
Bridges, or alternative not, and them all being independently run.

I wonder why there isn't one Smart Card for the greater New York area,
similar to what we have here in London.

It sounds like there's "almost" one.

Yes, it does sound it, except for the one disparity that MTA will not
accept SmartLink cards. I wonder if that is because the MTA does not yet
(ever?) have proper readers installed for Smart cards or because they
just don't want to work with the Port Authority.

What does SEPTA use on its city transport, by the way? How about the
Newark City Subway?

Yes, it does sound it, except for the one disparity that MTA will not
accept SmartLink cards. I wonder if that is because the MTA does not yet
(ever?) have proper readers installed for Smart cards or because they
just don't want to work with the Port Authority.

Since the PATH takes Metrocards, it's clearly the former. Keep in
mind that PATH has 13 stations, while the MTA has 468 subway stations,
and thousands of buses. Assuming the smartcard will also work on
commuter trains, there are also 120 M-N and 124 LIRR stations, and if
it works on NICE and Beeline, several hundred more buses there.

Once the MTA figures out what kind of smartcard they're going to use,
they'll figure out how to make it work with SmartLink, or maybe
SmartLink will go away and be merged into

What does SEPTA use on its city transport, by the way? How about the
Newark City Subway?

SEPTA takes cash (how quaint) and tokens on buses and subway lines.
SEPTA says they're planning a smartcard
system that piggybacks on contactless EMV debit and credit cards.

PATCO, has distance sensitive fares, its own ticketing system, their
own Freedom smartcard that you tap in and out. The PATCO machines sell
slightly discounted SEPTA tickets for people transferring to SEPTA.

Newark City subway, HB light rail, and River Line are NJ Transit,
They're POP, buy and validate a ticket from a machine on the platform,
or carry a monthly pass.

R's,
John

On Jan 21, 3:20*pm, John Levine wrote:

Newark City subway, HB light rail, and River Line are NJ Transit,
They're POP, buy and validate a ticket from a machine on the platform,
or carry a monthly pass.

As an aside, in my riding experience the POP fare inspectors on the
Newark City Subway are nice. The inspectors on the HBLR and R/L
remind me of border guards in those old WW II or Cold War movies:
"Your papers?! These papers are expired! You will hae to come with
us!"

I was fortunate one day when I unknowingly dropped my ticket. Another
passenger told me about it, so I got it up. On that trip we were
inspected. No ticket, big fine, police record. The newspapers
serving the area of the R/L reported on the problems of their POP, but
nothing has changed.

On Jan 21, 7:15*am, "
wrote:

What does SEPTA use on its city transport, by the way?

For SEPTA's buses, streetcars, and subway elevated lines, fares may be
paid in cash ($2, plus $1 for transfer if needed), tokens (sold at a
discount), or weekly or monthly passes which provide for unlimited
riding and deeper discounts.

SEPTA is considering a big jump into high-tech fare collection. See
their web site.

www.septa.org