After years of delay, BART finally allowing riders to use Translink

More than two years after AC Transit implemented and more than 6 months after Muni came on board, BART finally started allowing its riders to use Translink yesterday. Of course, it’s BART, so they’re calling this a “limited rollout” for BART EZ Rider users, but if you already have a Translink card, you can use it immediately! (The only thing that really makes this rollout limited is how they’re advertising it and that you should be prepared to buy a regular BART card if their Translink readers aren’t working.)

I could not be much more excited about this (well, maybe I’d be more excited if this happened a year ago), and it comes at perfect timing since I just used the last few dollars on my BART card. This means no more missing trains because I’m fumbling to find dollars (which happened to me this past weekend). This means it will be easier for everyone to switch between AC Transit, BART, and Muni. Yes, you will now be able to carry around just one transit card for these agencies. And my guess is that now that BART finally joined the program, transit agencies around the Bay will be quick to jump on board.

Like I said, the BART press release is promoting this rollout as limited. They mention that current Translink users can use the cards on BART and that anyone can purchase a Translink card. You can do so online, at the AC Transit offices downtown, at any Walgreens, and at many other stores throughout the Bay Area.

If you don’t have one yet, go get one now. Better yet, get one for yourself and a friend or two (I’ve given a couple loaded cards to friends as birthday presents). Let’s prove James Fang, the BART director who’s obsessed with being able to use cell phones as fare payment, wrong in the statements he made just a few months ago:

“I think (the phone technology) is a very good thing for the district,” he told us before heading off to Europe. “And when our project hits, I guess it will show TransLink was a disaster.

“And remember – I told you so.”

The only disaster about Translink is that it took BART two years to join AC Transit in this successful program. But now the wait is over. So go ahead and enjoy transit, free from multiple transit cards and fumbling for change.

Previous posts on Translink:

• 5/18/09: BART Director James Fang again chooses bling over cheaper & more sensible technology
• 3/25/09: Translink finally implemented on Muni & BART
• 4/18/08: Translink implementation delayed for BART, Muni, Caltrain

Translink finally implemented on Muni & BART

Nearly a year ago, I wrote about the delay of implementing Translink on BART, Muni, and Caltrain:

Back in October, I noticed a Translink reader on a Muni bus so I naively thought it wouldn’t be long before I could forget about the change and get rid of my BART card. But, I guess I shouldn’t have been so optimistic. The Chronicle reported today that the estimated implementation date of Translink on Muni and Caltrain has been moved back to July 15 and BART won’t come on board until September 25.

Yes, Muni and Caltrian were supposed to be on Board in July of 2008, and BART was supposed to join the system in September. Obviously, it’s taken a bit longer than that.

But I’m happy to report that Muni’s Translink testing is well under way, and they should be offering Translink to all Muni riders very soon. And as the Chronicle reported earlier this week, BART finally plans to offer Translink in June.

If you haven’t used Translink yet, I highly recommend getting  a card – you can get one online, at the AC Transit office, or at any Walgreens. It makes life so much easier, whether you’re a sporadic bus rider or a frequent bus rider. Also, as I mentioned in my posts on the 51 line, your usage of Translink will make everyone’s ride faster.

And now that Muni and BART will be on board, Translink will finally be the regional transit card it was always meant to be. No more fumbling with change on the bus. No more searching for your crumpled up BART card, only to find it’s been demagnatized.

Unfortunately, I can’t leave this post on a happy note. I’m not sure what took so long for Muni to implement, but BART really has no excuse. As AC Transit was testing Translink two years ago, BART decided to implement its own card with the same technology, the EZ Rider card. They went ahead and installed the card readers at BART stations that could have read Translink cards, but instead read their own cards that could not be used on other transit systems.

This is really just another example of BART being difficult and not cooperating with other transit agencies. There’s so much more to the story of BART being a bad transit neighbor, and dto510 covered this in depth last week:

BART’s per-rider public subsidy (at an average of $6.14) is more than twice that of AC Transit ($2.78), neatly intersecting (PDF) with the fact that its ridership is twice as white as AC Transit’s (43% to 21%). Its subsidized parking lots in the suburbs encourage driving and transfer additional funds to the suburbs at the expense of the inner cities. Most galling, fares from the outer suburbs don’t come close to covering the operating costs of those train lines, while intra-city fares in Oakland are actually more than the operating cost of a trip from, say, Fruitvale to the DTO. This means that every trip within Oakland is subsidizing a trip from the outer suburbs. Both the structure and the operation of BART is subsidizing suburbanites at the expense of the central cities, and its low-cost parking has been shown to encourage more driving.

Now go read the full post, and BART’s hesitance to participate in Translink might make more sense.

Translink Implementation Delayed for BART, Muni, Caltrain

While I’ve been enjoying using my Translink card on AC Transit for nearly a year now – and especially since it’s started saving me money – I was really looking forward to using it on BART and Muni. It’s frustrating to have to carry around a Translink card, a BART card, and change for Muni. Sometimes, I just end up walking in San Francisco because I don’t have the right change for Muni.

Back in October, I noticed a Translink reader on a Muni bus so I naively thought it wouldn’t be long before I could forget about the change and get rid of my BART card. But, I guess I shouldn’t have been so optimistic. The Chronicle reported today that the estimated implementation date of Translink on Muni and Caltrain has been moved back to July 15 and BART won’t come on board until September 25. And it gets worse:

But because of continued problems with software developed by an outside contractor, even those dates might get pushed back, MTC officials warned.

“The finish line keeps getting pushed back. We’re not happy,” said MTC executive director Steve Heminger.

I’m not happy either. Oh well, at least I can still enjoy using Translink in the East Bay.