Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

[nfitz]

They often check people at Spadina station as they get off the streetcar.

My impression is that they don't have Presto readers and therefore Presto users have to take a paper transfer (unfortunately).

I've heard otherwise. I assume they are accepting presentation of a Presto Card at face value, if they haven't been issued readers yet.

Worst comes to worse, you simply go with them back to the Presto machine on the streetcar, and tap it to give you a transfer.

I can see WHY they want to encourage everyone to take a transfer until they are 100% converted - but I don't think there's a requirement to do so, if you've tapped on a streetcar, if you won't need one to transfer.

Perhaps the test is to take a transfer, but show the Presto card for examination, and see what happens. I bet they just nod and move on.

 

[CDL.TO]

Not using Presto.

Ah. I thought you meant in general.

Presto is capable of pretty much anything, as long as the province is willing to pay Accenture to code it into their systems.

Osyter does both daily and weekly capping. As far as I can tell, it doesn't do monthly capping.

 

[ehlow]

I've heard otherwise. I assume they are accepting presentation of a Presto Card at face value, if they haven't been issued readers yet.

Worst comes to worse, you simply go with them back to the Presto machine on the streetcar, and tap it to give you a transfer.

I can see WHY they want to encourage everyone to take a transfer until they are 100% converted - but I don't think there's a requirement to do so, if you've tapped on a streetcar, if you won't need one to transfer.

Perhaps the test is to take a transfer, but show the Presto card for examination, and see what happens. I bet they just nod and move on.

That's good to know that they accept Presto as proof of payment.

 

[nfitz]

That's good to know that they accept Presto as proof of payment.

Not sure we know that; as there seems a lot of fuzziness.

But what's the downside, given you can just tap the machine to get the transfer, if they really get serious?

 

[nfitz]

Presto is capable of pretty much anything, as long as the province is willing to pay Accenture to code it into their systems.

But what can it reasonably do.

The province has promised that it will be able to handle the current TTC transfer system. Somehow I doubt that's ever going to happen though.

 

[CDL.TO]

The province has promised that it will be able to handle the current TTC transfer system. Somehow I doubt that's ever going to happen though.

Agreed 100%. Been saying this for a while now.

I think daily, weekly, or monthly capping would all be reasonably within Presto's capabilities. There might be a situation where "adjustments" to your fares occur later, though (that is, you're charged more than the cap on the day of and you get a refund within 24 hours once the system has figured it out).

 

[nfitz]

The problem with retroactive fixes, is that then it loads a credit for you that you normally need to receive within 30 days - and then it notifies ALL the devices of this pending load. If you had to do many more of these a day, the system might not be able to handle it. There must be some storage limitations on the readers. And then what if you don't use your card for a month.

On the other hand, it must use some process like that already for people who fail to tap out ... though those are far fewer in number ... but I don't really know how that works.

Would be fascinating to see the flow chart for the software.

 

[PinkLucy]

If you don't tap out, doesn't it charge you the maximum possible fare?

 

[Napoleon]

The problem with retroactive fixes, is that then it loads a credit for you that you normally need to receive within 30 days - and then it notifies ALL the devices of this pending load. If you had to do many more of these a day, the system might not be able to handle it. There must be some storage limitations on the readers. And then what if you don't use your card for a month.

I had a strange situation like this happen with the DC system. I had their version of a Presto card. When I registered it online, I think I got a $10 credit. The problem was that I had to then tap it on the reader within a certain period of time to get the credit. I never seem to be able to sync up requests with them to load the credit into their machines and visits to DC.

 

[TOareaFan]

So, there was a discussion way back where Nfitz (I think) was advising me how to get a free transfer on my return trip between Long Branch and Ex for TFC matches....really just involved tapping on at the last possible moment for trip to match and catching the first train home from the match and tapping before I went under the tunnel. I think, by accident, I did one better (somehow) and got a recent return trip for the grand sum of $0.01!

EDIT...take that back...it was indeed just a successful implentation of the Nfitz free return strategy.....was comparing the wrong balances.

 

[nfitz]

If you don't tap out, doesn't it charge you the maximum possible fare?

Yes. But that doesn't go onto your card until the next time you tap on. But what happens if you don't tap on for 3 months?

 

[nfitz]

So, there was a discussion way back where Nfitz (I think) was advising me how to get a free transfer on my return trip between Long Branch and Ex for TFC matches....really just involved tapping on at the last possible moment for trip to match and catching the first train home from the match and tapping before I went under the tunnel. I think, by accident, I did one better (somehow) and got a recent return trip for the grand sum of $0.01!

Looks like the return cost 27¢. With 31 minutes to spare!

Which is what the Fare Calculator shows. Presto from Long Branch to Exhbition is $5.04. Presto from Long Branch to Long Branch with a transfer at Exhibition is $5.31. http://www.gotransit.com/publicroot/en/fares/farecalculator.aspx

It would only be completely free if you started and ended in the same Zone. For example Union to Exhibition. Or Danforth to Scarborough, etc.

 

[TOareaFan]

Looks like the return cost 27¢. With 31 minutes to spare!

Which is what the Fare Calculator shows. Presto from Long Branch to Exhbition is $5.04. Presto from Long Branch to Long Branch with a transfer at Exhibition is $5.31. http://www.gotransit.com/publicroot/en/fares/farecalculator.aspx

It would only be completely free if you started and ended in the same Zone. For example Union to Exhibition. Or Danforth to Scarborough, etc.

While I am happy to receive a "freebee"...I honestly don't think it should work this way....timed transfers are a good idea but I think of them more like "I am at A and want to go to C but along the way I want to stop and do something briefly at B".....I don't think an A-B-A return trip should see the second leg free. .....just my opinion.

 

[nfitz]

While I am happy to receive a "freebee"...I honestly don't think it should work this way....timed transfers are a good idea but I think of them more like "I am at A and want to go to C but along the way I want to stop and do something briefly at B".....I don't think an A-B-A return trip should see the second leg free. .....just my opinion.

I'm not sure it should either. But isn't that the way many agencies work these days? Vancouver certainly is, and so is Mississauga.

Does any of the agencies that use Presto not use timed transfers that allow you take a return trip ... other than UP Express and TTC?

Reading through the rules for each agency at https://www.prestocard.ca/en-US/Pages/ContentPages/FaresTravel.aspx it's only Durham that doesn't seem to have a 2-hour transfer built-in - is that just an oversight on the website? Oh, and Ottawa has 90 minutes instead of 120 minute (and 105 minutes on weekends?!? They thought about that one too much!).

 

[TOareaFan]

I'm not sure it should either. But isn't that the way many agencies work these days? Vancouver certainly is, and so is Mississauga.

Does any of the agencies that use Presto not use timed transfers that allow you take a return trip ... other than UP Express and TTC?

Reading through the rules for each agency at https://www.prestocard.ca/en-US/Pages/ContentPages/FaresTravel.aspx it's only Durham that doesn't seem to have a 2-hour transfer built-in - is that just an oversight on the website? Oh, and Ottawa has 90 minutes instead of 120 minute (and 105 minutes on weekends?!? They thought about that one too much!).

I get that that is the way it is....I just don't see that it should be. I just see a big difference between an A-B-C trip and a A-B-A trip.