Skiers now can pay for bus ride with a 'blink'

Beginning today, skiers and snowboarders with a "contactless" credit card won't need to dig around for cash to get a ride to the resorts on a Utah Transit Authority bus.

UTA has installed electronic card readers on all 40 of its ski buses, and today the system goes active. The readers are part of a pilot program to see whether the card system would work on all UTA buses and trains.

The cards, also known "blink" cards, have a special chip inside that allows a person to wave the card in front of a reader to pay for a purchase. Credit card companies have just begun to distribute these cards in the United States, but they are popular in Asia and parts of Europe.

Craig Roberts, manager of the card system for UTA, said Tuesday that the pilot program looked "very promising." UTA hopes to put the system on more buses "for full deployment in the next couple years," he said.

Other transit systems such as the Metro in Washington, D.C., have "contactless" fare cards, but passengers cannot use "contactless" credit cards to directly board. UTA says it is the first agency in the nation to allow passengers to pay at the bus with the special credit cards.

Because few people have access to the credit cards, UTA will primarily test its program with 100,000 cards given to employees and season pass holders at the resorts in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons. These cards are similar to badges that some people flash before an electronic reader to exit or enter their office building or parking garage.

Laura Schaffer, director of public relations for Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, said Wednesday that Snowbird was interested in the system because it might offer better convenience and options to employees and guests at the resort. Snowbird has about 2,000 wintertime employees.

"There are benefits to it," Schaffer said. "Primarily it's the ability to collect fares quickly and efficiently so guests have a more enjoyable experience when riding."

But people have raised questions about security with the cards, including what information would be provided to companies like UTA and Snowbird and whether identity thieves could obtain personal information from the cards.

UTA spokesman Justin Jones said that his agency would only obtain data about where people are boarding the bus. They won't know who specifically is boarding the bus — just that someone boarded or exited. He also said that he believes the cards are no more susceptible than regular credit cards for identity theft.

"UTA does not get credit card information," he said. "We simply get the $3 fare from the credit-card agency."

Two weeks ago, UTA began limited ski bus service to the canyons. On Dec. 17, UTA will begin running full ski service. For more information, log on to www.rideuta.com

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com