On Monday TriMet launched the new ticket printers on lines 17 and 70. Some operators on these lines are no longer handing out the traditional flimsy, hole-punched slips after a rider puts cash or a ticket into the fare box. Instead the operator pushes a button and a more durable and legible ticket pops out of a new onboard ticket printer. The bus tickets match those of MAX and WES, taking the confusion out of transferring. They have a foil security strip and the 2-hour tickets are good for two hours. The ticket printers will be tested on the lines 17 and 70 for several weeks so TriMet staff can monitor the use and make any adjustments necessary. After that, the printers will go into use on all buses by July 1
I love them
ReplyDeleteeasy to read I see
ReplyDeleteLets see if they print reliably
Ticket Printers = money that is going to a half-assed system rather than a true stored value card system that most major transit agencies use that eliminate the need for transfers...as well as the passenger counters (since the farebox accurately counts riders).
ReplyDeleteUnless every rider, even cash paying ones and pass users, taps their card upon deboarding, a smart card system can't fully replace passenger counters which can tell where every rider gets off and how full the vehicle is throughout the route.
ReplyDeleteAs a rider, you will lose time on the ticket as opposed to a transfer, due to the fact that the ticket is just 2 hours from purchase, and the transfer is 2 hours from the end-of-the-line, big difference, so manage your time better.
ReplyDeleteHB
HB: The rule is 1 hour from the end of the line on weekdays, 2 hours on weekends. Also, "end of the line" means "downtown" for the routes that go through it.
ReplyDeleteIf you live close-in (like I do), then the new policy is better. Ex: on a normal weekday, when I get on the 9 at 39th & Powell (inbound) I would expect a transfer that expires ~1:20 minutes later. The new ticket will give me 2 hours.
That said, the reality is that you're right - bus riders are losing something; but that's mostly because operators are usually more generous than the policy states.