Deseret News | UTA 'tapping' into high-tech fare collection

Reader comments
UTA 'tapping' into high-tech fare collection

BadUTA | 6:09 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

Of course they will have to raise the fare that they charge to your card so they can pay for this new $10 card reader

Price going up again. | 7:43 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

Did you see Phoenix initiated light rail service over the weekend. $1.25/ride. You think they will be able to hold the line on rate increases? Doubt it.

Mark Crane | 8:19 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

Now that oil prices are dropped, when are fares decreasing?

Comments continue below

Whiners | 8:22 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

A story about an improvement, and the whiners still find something to cry about. Go away, whiners!

why ride UTA...Gas $1.25/gal | 8:33 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

$2.25 for Bus & Trax and front runner starting at $2.75. it's cheaper just to drive! UTA has really bad service compared to other states around Utah. UTA ceo makes more money per year then his counterparts.

UKGuy | 9:09 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

This has been working in Lyon in france for about 10 years!! It is a great system and they dont have problem with it! I would love this to be about sooner in the UK.

Anonymous | 9:07 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

What a stupid idea of "Tapping Off" this is almost like a Big Brother way seeing where we are going.

Unclear | 9:10 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

It is unclear as to whether persons with a monthly pass or a yearly pass needs to use these readers. Does anyone know the answer to that? That's all I need is to have to approach those things every time I need to get on or off a train.

commuterjoe | 10:03 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

A couple of thoughts:

I have shelled out nearly $1000 this past year for the monthly premium pass, getting me on the express bus, FrontRunner, TRAX and any other bus to and from my Davis County residence to downtown SLC place of work. (My employer cut a discount rate with UTA, so at least I didn't pay full price.) Worth it? This year, yeah, since gas prices were so high. Now that they're back to normal, no, I won't be doing it again next year.

If someone is paying that much money for a service, they have every right to complain, at least on a public message board, about what they feel is bad service or business.

Look, the ticket kiosks were a fiasco, and they couldn't get their cops to check tickets 24/7.

This story was lacking details, and I had to go to UTA's website to find out that in coming months they are planning on using the tap-on system with monthly passes, as well as reduced fare and promotional passes.

Speaking of Big Brother, did it strike anyone else odd that the ad on the UTA website for this service appears, well, rather socialistic? LOL

Anonymous | 10:46 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

Not only do we probably need to get in a line to get on, but now also to get off. and has anyone noticed that the readers are out in the open. So the line that needs to be formed will be out in the rain and snow.

Bad idea Trax. just do it once to get on and leave it at that.

Love UTA Hate Kiosks | 10:54 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

I'm glad to hear they are switching away from the Ticket Kiosks. Last time I used one it refused my bill, so I had to run across the street and buy a candybar only to have the Kiosk eat one of my bills and jam up the bill feeder.

to: commuterjoe | 10:57 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

After your comment about the UTA ad on their website I went to check it out. You are completely right on, looks like some sort of propaganda poster coming out of the old USSR. Hilarious.

Ema | 11:37 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

I work at the university and ride TRAX daily using my EDpass. There is always a huge crowd of people getting off the train at the hospital, and we are all in a hurry to get across the street (especially hurrying if the light is about to change) and get to work. I just can't imagine how efficient it's going to be to have that crowd of people waiting to "tap off." I'll have to check later, but I believe there is only one kiosk on the platform. I can't imagine all those people are going to wait in line to do this.

Credit, not debit | 11:44 a.m. Dec. 29, 2008

What kind of "profit sharing" is UTA getting from the handful of credit card companies that offer this service right now? Adding credit card interest on top of your fee structure is a hidden price increase but hey, its not real money so why not?

John Doe | 1:00 p.m. Dec. 29, 2008

Talk about Big Brother. This is just another way for the Governmnet to track its citizens via their credit cards. I refuse to ride trax.

C,L, | 1:31 p.m. Dec. 29, 2008

The real problem with UTA is that they have no board or directors (at least that are at all effective). Anyone who has followed UTA as long as I have can see that they really have no oversight. For instance, why do they advertise on television?, why do they have 20 transit cops and I'm lucky if I see 1 per month?
The best thing that could happen to UTA is if the Mayors get involved with the issue, because the UTA board is nothing more than a rubber stamp for anything mgmt. wants to do.
10m for their "tap on tap off" toy would buy a lot of bus rides!!
UTA is taking the taxpayers for a "ride" in more ways than one!

One Bank | 2:13 p.m. Dec. 29, 2008

Is it a coincidence that Wells Fargo is the only bank in Utah that offers these fancy cards right now? Is UTA get advertising money from Wells Fargo to promote this service that only Wells Fargo provides?

Big Brother | 2:25 p.m. Dec. 29, 2008

Did it ever occur to any of the "Big Brother" advocates that the reasoning might be to gather ridership data in order to characterize their ridership and improve service? If you have a Smith's card, an Albertson's card, they are doing the same thing. Is that Big Brother as well?

Z | 7:50 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

There are at least two terminals at each end of every Trax platform. Since the scanner requires only a wave of your pass (just like your security cards for those of you who have those at work), I don't think that long lines should be much of an issue once people get used to using them. It just might cut back on the jaywalking, though, if everyone is at the end of the platform.

For most riders, I think that in the long run this is going to make fare paying more efficient.

RH | 7:56 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

UTA could have used the $10 mill to extend TRAX west and improve the system that way. Spending that kind of money on a system that only a few can use is foolish and poor management. They act like a kid with a new toy, all excited over something no one wants to use. As for me, I am done with UTA until they get their management in order and do what really is best for the community.

GJ | 10:31 a.m. Dec. 30, 2008

People need to learn how to calm down.

Yes, these computerized fare systems sound scary, but similar systems have been in existence in Japan and Europe for ages and many major transit systems in the United States are in the process of switching to electronic smart cards.

I've used smart cards in other cities and they are very easy to use and very handy to have. No big huge lines, no messing around with wonky ticket machines, just tap the scanner and off you go.

In most cities, one card (purchased from the transit agency, not from a credit-card company) can serve as both a monthly or weekly pass and as a debit card that you keep recharging.
It's no different than the cards they use at Kinko's, except the technology is wireless. The article doesn't make it clear if that's the sort of card UTA has in mind, but if it is, this system is worth the investment.

Whatever Works | 12:12 p.m. Dec. 30, 2008

I think it is a bad plan that UTA is taking Credit Cards, then that way evedryone know your Credit Card Info, and then they take forever to clear from the banks, When will bus fares go down if gas prices are going down? I like tht Tap On & Tap Off system , I guess it tell you how many times that you can ride,$12.00 for a whol year then you don't have to renue it is a good deal where I work for BYU that is only .33cents a day to ride. what a deal

Taylor | 11:15 p.m. Jan. 1, 2009

What bothers me is that my hands are full when I board and deboard the bus...computer, lunch, water canteen, files for work. I can hardly get a free hand to grab my pass once again to "tap off". And now i better run to the end of the platform to do it when i ride trax?

$10 Million Dollars was way out of line for a system with few benefits that may not even work. When my eco pass fails to work because of this delicate new technology, I'll be expected to pay the fare again.

Nice toy for John Inglish, who already gets what, $275,000 per year to direct UTA--more than double what any other state government department director earns. And yes, their website ad, "Unite" with a bunch of raised fists, really does look like a socialism campaign--right out of the 1940s socialism movement. Disgusting.

I did hear that the gas adjustment is a quarter behind, and so should take effect in April. We'll see!

Z | 12:29 p.m. Jan. 2, 2009

To RH: UTA is already extending TRAX to the west along three lines: The Airport line, the West Valley Line, and the Mid-Jordan line. All three of them should be operational within the next four years. Or were you not paying attention when we had that little election 2 years ago?

To Taylor: Unless you're jaywalking, you're already at the end when you get to the platform. If you are jaywalking, I guess it's time to stop. >:-)

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Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

UTA is going to start using an electronic fare-collection system in which riders will "tap on" when they board a bus or train, and the fare will be charged.