A report put out by a smart card working group gives some clues as to how the new fare payment system may be implemented on SEPTA’s regional rail system.
The report, scheduled to be released at a press conference Wednesday afternoon and obtained by PlanPhilly, could be the death knell of the one-way fare collection proposal, which would have regional rail riders paying double for trips leaving Center City. Inbound trips would be free.
The working group is composed of stakeholders including county and city planners and transit advocates and was convened by SEPTA to analyze smart card implementation on regional rail in the wake of criticism of internal SEPTA plans. Meetings are being mediated by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia.
The group voted 11-1 in favor of continuing with two-way fares under the new payment system. Riders would have to tag in and out at the beginning and end of each trip. That could be accomplished at turnstiles to be installed at the five Center City stations, validating machines to be installed at many outlying stations or by a conductor.
The report noted that a two-way fare collection system would reduce fare evasion and “better facilitates the needs of one-way travelers.” A two-way fare collection system would cost slightly more, however, because — similar to the Washington, D.C., Metro system — vending machines would have to be placed inside turnstiles at Center City regional rail stations to allow riders who have insufficient money on their fare cards to add value to them before leaving the paid areas.
While the decisions of the group are non-binding, members represent important political interests, and their consensus will carry weight as SEPTA settles important policy questions related to the implementation of the new fare system.
The working group also evaluated several proposals for restructuring regional rail fare zones. The number of zones could be reduced to three, with an additional Center City zone.
The group voted unanimously to default fare collection to zone 3, meaning riders who fail to tag out would be charged the highest rate. This has implications for what fare collection would look like on regional rail.
An addendum to SEPTA’s request for proposals to construct the system had assumed a default zone 2 system. Under that scenario, riders who fail to get tagged out of the system would be charged a zone 2 rate. In effect, riders traveling to zone 1 stations would have to tag out, riders traveling to zone 2 would be automatically checked out of the system, and zone 3 riders would be tagged off by SEPTA conductors.
Zone 3 default collection would involve the installation of validating machines on Zone 2 stations but would allow more uniform fare collection.
While the Zone 3 option would cost $1 million to $2 million more in capital costs and increased operating expenses of $1.4 million, according to SEPTA, it would also bring in increased revenue of $1.5 million annually because of decreased fare evasion.
The working group also agreed that adopting an honor system for fare collection — in which fares would be checked by random inspections — could lead to revenue losses and would require legislation from Harrisburg to allow uniform punishment of fare evasion across county and municipal lines.
And it rejected a proposal put forward by the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers that would have installed ticket vending machines at every station similar to New Jersey Transit. The working group instead supported a proposal to limit vending machine installation to Center City stations.
SEPTA had argued that installing ticket vending machines in outlying stations would raise the project’s capital and operating costs significantly and put the machines at risk for vandalism.
Not all open questions have been resolved, however. The group agreed to continue discussions relating to zone restructuring and transfers.
SEPTA is hoping to award a contract to build the system by the end of the summer and has said that not all policy issues need to be resolved before that happens.
Contact the reporter at acampisi@planphilly.com
Comments
Two answers to this.
1) You'll be able to use a credit card, or "Septa Card" that can be recharged online. That means you won't have to worry about fares at the station ever if you don't want.
2) If you're going to Center City then you just pay inside the gates in Center City.
All in all I think it's pretty good. They can always build out the ticket system if they want, but who'd wait in line for a SEPTA ticket machine when you can pay online or from your phone?
As I understand SEPTA's proposal, you would have to either buy a card from the conductor on the train, or pay the conductor with your credit or debit card, and then run that same card through a turnstile in Center City to get out of the station.
Oh so... the conductor would basically give you the card that you would buy at a ticket machine anyway?
Yes, though I don't know what the format would be. There would have to be on board sales, but if you're traveling from the "default zone" to Center City, you could pay on the platform at Center City. Regardless of where you board or how the transaction is processed, you would need a compatible card to get out of the station. (cue "Charlie on the MTA")
I believe that would continue to work as it does now — on-board fare collection for people without fares already.
>>It only makes damn sense.
Well, start educating your mayor or county council members. They appoint the SEPTA board members who will be making the decision in a few weeks.
Wow, Campisi replied? You never reply to emails dude. You haven't been shown the door for such behavior?
Anyway, I guess it makes sense but the Parking meter idea doesn't. They're slim and light and the screens are small and hard to read for some people. And in regards of vandalism, the Parking machine could get knocked over way easier than a big bulky square TVM which will be bolted into the ground.
Camden had (poorly made) TVM's in camden for years and they never had problems regarding vandalism.
Well we've now had the parking kiosks in Center City and West Philadelphia a coupla years, and they're proven in New York and lots of other cities. There's been no rash of vandalism, theft, or careless drivers taking out the kiosks (though SEPTA keeps saying "our vandals are special.").
The bigger machines have lots of nice features like the big screen, but they cost over $50,000 apiece while the kiosks are just $10,000. With somewhere on the order of 600-700 machines needed to fully equip the whole system, the cost difference is 20 to 30 million. Plus the more complicated machines are more costly to service. SEPTA is not willing to pay that much, so we wrote the paper explaining how the kiosk could work just as well. Remember that the back-end is going to handle all the round-trip and ten-trip discounts, transit transfers, and other complications, so there are very few options you need the machine to provide for.
The reason you need a big screen and ten or more buttons on the NJT machine is to handle such a large variety of transactions (like buying a Trenton-NYP ticket at 30th Street or buying a bus pass at a rail station TVM. Simplifying the TVM by making the transactions simpler means SEPTA saves on the machine and saves on maintenance, and passengers can buy their tickets really fast: press one button and swipe your credit or debit card or SEPTA card.
There won't be any vandals. And the kiosks are easier to vandalize than a big heavy TVM. NJT has no needs greater than ours. We have more lines (trolley, subway, high speed line) which jersey doesn't have. We need the same machines they have, but not the cheap ones that they bought. SEPTA wants to pay for them and they will. They wouldn't be doing this whole project if they didn't want to pony up the dough for the machines. The parking kiosk idea is stupid. It's small and unreadable and doesn't give change and it won't suit our needs. The TVM does and thats what SEPTA will wind up buying. Plus, the maker of these kiosks you speak of never submit a bid, so they can't be brought in. Its too late now. Its down to three Fare system companies. ACS, Cubic, and S&B. Thank goodness. And if SEPTA is worried about vandalism, they can install some cameras or shine a light on it at night. Theres many options. but there is no way on earth that someone can break into a steel box like that. No one has yet done it at the Patco machines and they are in relatively easy-to-access areas. If they're worried about vandalism, the TVM's from each of these manufacturers have many heavy locks inside and are built tough because the manufacturer knows it will be sitting outside exposed to the elements. Unlike the stupid parking kiosk idea, which doesn't have nearly as much protection as a TVM. The TVM is what SEPTA needs and in the end, they WILL wind up paying for it, because it's the ultimate solution in the long run.