New direction for transit system
New direction for transit system
Compass cards replacing paper passes with plastic
By Steve Schmidt Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. May 1, 2009
COMPASS CARD: BY THE NUMBERS
$40 million: Cost to develop the new pass program
80,000: Monthly transit pass holders in the San Diego region
1,200: Electronic devices placed in buses and at transit stations to read the high-tech card
511: Phone number for additional information on the card
SOURCE: San Diego Association of Governments
From the buses to the rails of San Diego County's sprawling mass transit system, paper is giving way to plastic.
A transit pass akin to a credit card debuts today on the Coaster train and on premium express bus routes. By late summer, it will replace all monthly paper passes in the region.
At least that's the plan.
The San Diego Association of Governments and local public transit agencies wanted to roll out the new Compass card in 2006, but equipment and installation problems, along with a protracted contract dispute, forced delays.
“We had every issue under the sun,” said James Dreisbach-Towle, who manages the program for SANDAG.
Beginning this morning, commuters who have purchased Compass cards in recent days must tap the monthly pass against an electronic reader as they board a Coaster train or an express bus route through North County.
The reader senses an electronic chip embedded in the card, giving riders the go-ahead to step onboard and providing transit operators with passenger data that could help them refine routes and schedules.
Similar “smart cards” have been introduced in recent years in Atlanta, Los Angeles and other cities. The San Diego card will be sold online, over the phone, in Vons stores and, unlike monthly paper passes, through fare machines at transit stations.
“A lot of people are going to readily see the convenience of it,” said Paul Jablonski, chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Transit System in San Diego.
The monthly pass will be expanded to all transit systems in the county, including the MTS trolley, starting July 1.
The program cost $40 million, including the price of manufacturing and installing 1,200 card readers. SANDAG officials said nearly all the money came from state and federal grants.
About 80,000 county residents, or roughly two out of three mass transit riders, use a monthly pass. By eliminating monthly paper passes, transit agencies will save on printing costs. Coins and bills will still be accepted for single trips.
“It's a brand new habit, a brand new way of doing things,” Dreisbach-Towle said.
SANDAG, MTS and the North County Transit District have launched an aggressive campaign to educate locals about the reusable card.
The effort includes placing “ambassadors” at transit stops to explain how the card works. A Web page also has been created (compass.511sd.com).
Still, some commuter confusion is inevitable, Dreisbach-Towle said.
Officials with the Los Angeles County Metro system said there was initial confusion when they introduced a similar card last year. Jane Matsumoto, a Metro administrator, said some commuters didn't realize their card was reusable month after month – as the Compass card is.
“(Today) there are still some unhappy people, . . . but our bus drivers and customers are happy with (the card),” Matsumoto said.
Fare-enforcement officers aboard trains and trolleys will carry readers to check the validity of each Compass card.
Compass cards for the NCTD's Sprinter and Breeze transit systems will be sold starting May 20, for use beginning June 1. Cards for MTS buses and the trolley will be available starting June 20, and effective July 1.
The cost of an adult monthly regional pass, which is good for rides on the MTS system, Breeze routes and the Sprinter, is set to rise to $72 from $68 in July. The MTS and NCTD offer discounted passes to seniors, youth and the disabled.
Jablonski said the Compass program opens the door to the creation of new types of passes.
Officials plan to introduce a 30-day pass that can begin on any day of the month, unlike the current monthly pass. By year's end, the MTS also may allow riders to buy Compass cards based on the number of trips they expect to take.
The MTS and NCTD will continue to sell paper day passes.
Initial planning for the system began about a decade ago, but the project was held up by installation problems, software glitches and other issues.
An eight-month contract dispute between SANDAG and Cubic Corp., which developed the card technology, slowed development further and added $1.75 million to the project cost, Dreisbach-Towle said.
He said the slow roll-out over the next few months is by design.
“We're starting small so that if we encounter any problem we can fix it,” he said.
Steve Schmidt: (619) 293-1380; steve.schmidt@uniontrib.com
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