BART to roll out TransLink this summer
Why is this woman so happy? Because with her TransLink card she can ride lots of different transit systems without having to worry about carrying cash or tickets! (Yeah, it's a publicity photo, but the setting of an actual target date for TransLink on BART is BIG NEWS for riders who have been waiting a long time for it.)
If all goes as planned, the TransLink regional fare card should be available to BART riders starting this summer. BART would join San Francisco's MTA, AC Transit and the Golden Gate bus and ferry system in letting riders pay their fares with the universal prepaid card, which can be set up to automatically reload BART's high-value discounted fare when the account reaches a minimum threshold. And -- another bonus -- it works with most commuter tax benefit programs! The Metropolitan Transportation Commission oversees the TransLink program, which has taken longer than planned to implement due to the complexity of integrating the fare information for so many different agencies. TransLink eventually will connect riders on more than two dozen Bay Area transit systems.
BART Chief Spokesman Linton Johnson said BART plans to roll out TransLink beginning with a small group of riders who already use the EZ Rider fare card. The EZ Rider card was created to make the transition easier as it uses the same "smart card" technology as TransLink. BART will gradually phase out use of the EZ Rider card for fare payment but will continue to use the card to allow riders to pay for their parking in BART lots.
More information on TransLink can be found at www.translink.org. More information on BART's EZ Rider card can be found at https://ezrider.bart.gov/ezrider/
Photo credit: Courtesy of TransLink
