MBTA Fare System (Charlie, AFC 2.0, Zone, Discounts)

What is the state of the design for new gates. I remember seeing photos of mock-ups, but that may have predated the rework of the timeline
 
RandomWalk said:
What is the state of the design for new gates. I remember seeing photos of mock-ups, but that may have predated the rework of the timeline
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They early designs I saw were basically the exact same style as London uses, the tall paddles that fold in the direction they're opening. I like them because they're much harder to slip by than the MBTA gates, which let's be honest are incredibly easy to get through without paying.
 
HelloBostonHi said:
They early designs I saw were basically the exact same style as London uses, the tall paddles that fold in the direction they're opening. I like them because they're much harder to slip by than the MBTA gates, which let's be honest are incredibly easy to get through without paying.
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Londons folding paddles aren't any taller or harder to evade than the T's S&B sliding panels from what I recall.

I was also under the impression that we're getting the same system as NY MTA Omny, just with new gates? (Whose old school turnstiles are so low to basically invite jumping, but on the refurb front I believe they were successively transitioned from token to metrocard to omny)
 
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Stlin said:
I was also under the impression that we're getting the same system as NY MTA Omni, just with new gates? (Whose old school turnstiles are so low to basically invite jumping, but on the refurb front I believe they were successively transitioned from token to metrocard to omny)
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The OMNY system is also built off the TfL system, Cubic paid TfL for a license for their technology and now implements it elsewhere. Obviously the fare technology can be implemented independently of the gate design, NY kept their turnstiles and it seems that the MBTA might keep the old ones as well now.

The MBTA implementation will be slightly more complicated than the OMNY system primarily because of commuter rail zones which mean commuter rail will be tap on/tap off. The MBTA is also fully removing the old system (or at least was in the original version of the plan), which means an awkward transition phase where half the gates accept old payment and half accept new. The OMNY rollout was built just as an add on to the existing system.
 
Yeah NYC uses the same turnstiles from 50 years ago that have token slots and metrocard swipers. They have no plans to change them AFAIK. PATH uses turnstiles but theyre newer and suck in Metrocards instead of swiping them (as the MBTA ones were designed to do)
 
HelloBostonHi said:
The MBTA implementation will be slightly more complicated than the OMNY system primarily because of commuter rail zones which mean commuter rail will be tap on/tap off.
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OMNY is getting implemented on Metro-North and LIRR, both of have even more complicated zoned fare schemes than the MBTA runs.
 
millerm277 said:
OMNY is getting implemented on Metro-North and LIRR, both of have even more complicated zoned fare schemes than the MBTA runs.
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Well perhaps unsurprisingly that phase is also very delayed for them too, and I can't even find information of whether they are going for a full tap on/off system or not...
 
HelloBostonHi said:
Well perhaps unsurprisingly that phase is also very delayed for them too, and I can't even find information of whether they are going for a full tap on/off system or not...
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My bet is its going to be implemented on LIRR and Metronorth the same way Charlie was implemented on commuter rail.
 
jass said:
Yeah NYC uses the same turnstiles from 50 years ago that have token slots and metrocard swipers. They have no plans to change them AFAIK. PATH uses turnstiles but theyre newer and suck in Metrocards instead of swiping them (as the MBTA ones were designed to do)
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Seems like we should have just done the same thing and kept our old token ones and retrofitted them. Then again, those were trivial to get through without paying.
 
bakgwailo said:
Seems like we should have just done the same thing and kept our old token ones and retrofitted them. Then again, those were trivial to get through without paying.
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Not great for accessibility either, have to have a separate accessible entrance then
 
We really have AFC 2.0 hardware?! Are we sure this isn’t some AFC 1.999999 stuff?
 
You can tell theyre modern because the "tap to pay" area is enormous
 
RandomWalk said:
We really have AFC 2.0 hardware?! Are we sure this isn’t some AFC 1.999999 stuff?
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These are definitely not what was originally proposed for AFC 2 but I'm guessing these machines can handle both 1.0 and 2.0 media whereas the originally proposed machines could only handle 2.0 media.

Full-Functionality-Fare-Vending-Machine-for-use-in-stations-copy-1000x656.jpg
 
Seems like the new fare kiosks are now at all (or most) of the Blue Line stations. They installed Bowdoin yesterday, and Maverick was done a few days ago. The contactless payment is pretty nice.
 
What a confusing system. Just arrived at South Station and realized I couldn’t find my Charlie Card with 3 minutes before the Alewife train I needed would arrive. So, I bought a Charlie Ticket from one of the new kiosks. Approaching the fare gates, the left half were the traditional gates, and the right half were the new gates, adorned with loud signage saying “Charlie Card Only”. Thinking I couldn’t use the new ones, I tried three of the old gates with no success. Luckily, an attendant yelled at me that I need to use my Charlie Ticket on one of the new “Charlie Card Only” gates. I guess this is because it’s one of the new tappable Charlie Tickets? Somehow still made my train.

Edit: Just exited at Harvard and the signage here is much clearer that the new gates are for both Charlie Cards and Tickets

Edit 2: And then the Charlie Ticket failed to apply the transfer when switching to the bus 😑
 
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theSil said:
What a confusing system. Just arrived at South Station and realized I couldn’t find my Charlie Card with 3 minutes before the Alewife train I needed would arrive. So, I bought a Charlie Ticket from one of the new kiosks. Approaching the fare gates, the left half were the traditional gates, and the right half were the new gates, adorned with loud signage saying “Charlie Card Only”. Thinking I couldn’t use the new ones, I tried three of the old gates with no success. Luckily, an attendant yelled at me that I need to use my Charlie Ticket on one of the new “Charlie Card Only” gates. I guess this is because it’s one of the new tappable Charlie Tickets? Somehow still made my train.

Edit: Just exited at Harvard and the signage here is much clearer that the new gates are for both Charlie Cards and Tickets

Edit 2: And then the Charlie Ticket failed to apply the transfer when switching to the bus 😑
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Thank you!

You were merely using the English language correctly - - a "ticket" is not a "card". The attendant who yelled at you needs to humanize.

I find the Boston fare system infinitely more confusing and chaotic than any other urban transpo system I've traveled upon. The signange and explanations (not to mention some of the attitudes of the "facilitators") leaves much to improve upon.
 
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