News   Nov 06, 2024
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Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

No, from what I understand GRT (and ion) have rejected Presto and gone with their own custom system called easyGO. I have no idea why this is and can't get a straight answer out of anyone about it. Seems like a stupid step backward by The Region, to me.

I don't know how they got away with not going with presto. For example, the provinced forced - key word forced - Ottawa to go with Presto. It wasn't really up for discussion.
 
I don't know how they got away with not going with presto. For example, the provinced forced - key word forced - Ottawa to go with Presto. It wasn't really up for discussion.
The Region issued an RFP. Presto declined to submit a proposal. Regional council confirmed that their bylaws forbid them to award it to Presto without an RFP.

Ottawa was forced? Toronto was forced - I think the early adopters were all voluntary.

Looking back to page 6 of this thread, it seems the Ottawa decision to join in November 2007 (5 years before the Confederation line was approved) was voluntary. See the City of Ottawa report - http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/tc/2007/11-26/ACS2007-PTE-TRA-0010.htm
 
I'm curious to know how they will be rigging up the metropass readers to a pretty much of-the-shelf faregate, especially since it won't be permanent.

The two different types of faregates pictured have magnetic stripe readers in them, they're pretty common in the rest of the world. It's the horizontal slot on the right side, you insert the pass and it either shoots it back out or pops it up the top, and the gate opens when you pull it back out.

Keeping magnetic strips around would be a good way to sell cash tickets at TVMs.
 
Keeping magnetic strips around would be a good way to sell cash tickets at TVMs.

My experience with cash tickets from TVMs in Europe is that they have a chip inside them so you just tap them at the gate like a Presto card. Magnetic strips could be another way though.
 
The Region issued an RFP. Presto declined to submit a proposal. Regional council confirmed that their bylaws forbid them to award it to Presto without an RFP.

Ottawa was forced? Toronto was forced - I think the early adopters were all voluntary.

Looking back to page 6 of this thread, it seems the Ottawa decision to join in November 2007 (5 years before the Confederation line was approved) was voluntary. See the City of Ottawa report - http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/tc/2007/11-26/ACS2007-PTE-TRA-0010.htm

Really. With all this hype around the PrestoCard in the GTHA, one would think that PrestoCard [Metrolinx] would insist to be the card of choice for the region...

The story around Ottawa is that the province was threatening to withhold gas tax payments unless OC Transpo adopted the card. I know that the Presto manager for Ottawa implementation resigned after the major launch failure, so it could have been a case of top-down management during those early Presto days.
 
My experience with cash tickets from TVMs in Europe is that they have a chip inside them so you just tap them at the gate like a Presto card. Magnetic strips could be another way though.

Both are certainly options. I've heard that the contactless tickets are more expensive, but this will probably equalize over time. What mag stripes would do is give the TTC flexibility to operate separately from PRESTO, for things like single ride tickets or day passes.
 
Both are certainly options. I've heard that the contactless tickets are more expensive, but this will probably equalize over time. What mag stripes would do is give the TTC flexibility to operate separately from PRESTO, for things like single ride tickets or day passes.

Makes me wonder if TVMs are coming - especially with all this fare integration talk + different fare for subway trips into York Region.
 
Found a minor bug with TTC? Tap on @ union, get on the 510. Get off at Dundas, Hang out at Chinatown for an hour and a 15 minutes. Hop back on to the 510 towards Spadina.

Two fares right? Nope, Presto counted my 2nd 510 trip as a transfer?
 
Found a minor bug with TTC? Tap on @ union, get on the 510. Get off at Dundas, Hang out at Chinatown for an hour and a 15 minutes. Hop back on to the 510 towards Spadina.

Two fares right? Nope, Presto counted my 2nd 510 trip as a transfer?
That akes sense - it sees the first tap as a tap on the subway, and the second as a transfer to the 510. This is what I'd expect with what we know with the programming.

This will go away, with the upcoming change that you will have to tap on to streetcars even in fare paid areas, when you enter.
 
So I've noticed the streetcar drivers are still generally uninformed about how Presto works. I've had several drivers become quite upset with me when I decline to take a paper transfer after tapping in with a Presto card. They don't seem to understand that the fare inspectors have Presto readers. From my knowledge the only reason to take a transfer is if you're going to transfer to a bus. I think all subways that intersect streetcar routes either have internal transfers or have Presto readers installed.

The most hilarious contortion of logic was the driver telling me that I had to take a transfer if I boarded through the front doors but not the back. Anyone else having problems?
 
So I've noticed the streetcar drivers are still generally uninformed about how Presto works. I've had several drivers become quite upset with me when I decline to take a paper transfer after tapping in with a Presto card. They don't seem to understand that the fare inspectors have Presto readers. From my knowledge the only reason to take a transfer is if you're going to transfer to a bus. I think all subways that intersect streetcar routes either have internal transfers or have Presto readers installed.

The most hilarious contortion of logic was the driver telling me that I had to take a transfer if I boarded through the front doors but not the back. Anyone else having problems?

Yeah it seems quite alot of TTC drivers are unaware of the rules, but I think they are slowly getting the hang of it. It is a new system after all.
 
They don't seem to understand that the fare inspectors have Presto readers. From my knowledge the only reason to take a transfer is if you're going to transfer to a bus. I think all subways that intersect streetcar routes either have internal transfers or have Presto readers installed.
You also need transfers if you get short-turned - or else you get charged twice (for tapping twice on the same route in a row).

In the same way, if you were (for example) to take a 510 streetcar entering service from Queen/Leslie signed for Spadina station, and got off on Spadina changing to a southbound 510 to Front - you'd also get a second charge, and need to take a transfer.
 

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