While we let BART lag forever with trying to get Translink up and running, AC Transit is taking the next step in fare collection with the Translink program.
On Translink's website, they report that AC Transit has decided to eliminate sales of their magnetic stripe 10-ride and 31-day Transbay tickets, and is effective June 22, 2009. Therefore, if passengers who wish to continue using these types of fare media for their Transbay rides, will have to pay with a Translink card. This new policy does not affect those who ride the local buses and Cal Berkeley's sticker pass program.
The last day to use up any remaining tickets is September 30, 2009. For those who have extra unused tickets, they can be turned-in at the Transbay terminal ticket office for a free Translink card and have their card value credited to their account.
AC Transit explains that due to the new Transbay Terminal construction and future closure, there will be far less space at their temporary terminal and that means far less time for the bus to idle for passengers to board. Translink users know that it's much faster to use their cards than pay in cash or "dunk" their magnetic stripe tickets.
Also, since there's a fare hike coming up for this agency, it's pointless to produce new tickets when Translink can easily do the job.
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Smart move AC Transit! It's an easy way to stop producing paper/plastic tickets, thereby reducing cost, and makes your bus program efficient and faster due to quicker boarding.
See Muni? You can learn a lesson from this when you start charging a $10 surcharge for BART rides on January 1, 2010. Why waste printing extra passes?
Thanks to David Chiu, the fare increases and the 10$ surcharge is actually going up in May. The bus service changes, however, may come in October.
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