wheres wally, page-3

What sort of post is that...


So your life has been defined as "Walt Watching"

You are really complaining that your life is lost because Walt is not posting.....oh by the way


"Since official information about the (supposedly?) upcoming implementation of Translink on BART is not available online, I sent the following question to [email protected]:
"When will BART begin accepting TransLink as a form of payment? Thanks!"
This is what I got back a few days later:
"That will depend on when Translink is finally implemented at BART. They encountered schedule delays at the two prior properties where implementation was conducted, Golden Gate and AC Transit. I understand that they are still in process at AC Transit. Last I had heard, they may be finished there late this year which would then permit them to begin the process at BART although I do not know how long it would take them to fully implement so we could go "live"."
I ride AC transit regularly and have been paying with TransLink since December 2006 or early January 2007. During the first few weeks there were, indeed, some problems with it, but in the last few months it has been running completely smoothly. I don't know if there are some behind-the-scenes technical issues we don't know about, but from my observations it looks like TransLink has been fully implemented on AC Transit for a while!
In any case, the BART employee ("[email protected]") is clearly pointing the finger at TransLink. I wonder if s/he's right or this is just an easy way out. Any thoughts?
This employee is clearly just - as you said - pointing the finger at TransLink.
TransLink was installed for a period of time on BART in 2006. At that time it was part of the TransLink Phase I roll-out, in which 500 passengers for Muni, Dumbarton Express, AC, Golden Gate Ferry and Bus, and BART participated in a Bay Area-wide test program.
As it was the first of its kind (and still is) multi-system fare payment card in the nation there were some snags, but overall it proved very successful. I, too, have a TransLink card that I use if and when I ride AC (once or twice a week or so) and I have it as eCash with the $20 threshold for autoload.
TransLink is a great system and the only reason that BART is stalling is that as part of BART's agreement to purchase those new faregates, the only type of smart card that would be accepted is as designated by the company that manufactured the gates.
Also, I don't think BART likes the idea of not having cash-in-hand when the ride is taken. TransLink is run by the MTC, and thus all money flows through the MTC and is issued to BART (or AC, Muni, Dumbarton, etc) at the end of the month.