More Clipper Card Vendors Needs to Accept Commuter Debit Cards

I believe it's time to ask for more Clipper card vendors to accept commuter debit cards.

If you don't know what a commuter debit card is, it's the ones issued by major transit benefit companies like Commuter Check and WageWorks. Instead of sending you a voucher or your passes in the mail on a monthly basis, you get a debit card when you sign-up for it and the funds will automatically load to the card every month.

You just can't use this debit card at any place that sells transit media, it has to be a specific place that ONLY sells transit media, such as a Muni ticket booth at Presidio and Geary, a transit ticket automated machine like at all BART stations, or a vendor that only sells transit media like the third-party ticket sales booths at Embarcadero station. The reason behind that is, you can't use the funds on the card to buy anything other than transit passes, thereby using the card at Walgreens (which also sells passes on Clipper) would be prohibited because the data returned to the commuter benefit company would say what type of business is it, like "grocery store" or "pharmacy." If you have ever looked at your own personal credit card statement, most of the time it will say the description of what the vendor normally sells, not what specific items you bought.

I think it might be time for Clipper to consider getting more local businesses to accept the debit cards by giving them a separate debit card machine to handle it specifically for Clipper card purchases. The demand to purchase Clipper media grows by the day, and people want the most options available. People with debit cards in SF have very limited options beyond all the Muni metro stations and the two sales booths at Presidio & Geary and Powell Cable Car turnaround; there are a few Clipper add value machines that can purchase Muni passes such as the Golden Gate Ferry terminal and the Temporary Transbay Terminal, but there's no debit cards accepted in areas beyond the downtown region (Market street between Castro and the Ferry Building) and Forest Hill/West Portal area.

Maybe Walgreens can add a separate debit card machine to handle it; SF State doesn't accept debit cards, but will accept vouchers, why not them? The debit card is a much easier option because you get one card good for many years, saving trees by not mailing items on a monthly basis, and gives people flexibility to change from a pass to e-cash in situations where they may be going on a planned vacation.

Some of you may be saying, how about buying Clipper media online? Sure, they accept the debit cards online, but as we all know, the 5-day delay sucks, especially when you need the pass or e-cash funds immediately.

Why did I even write about this?
My mom gave me a call because she knows I'm some transit expert (Akit in the house!). She told me she waited in a 30 person line at the Presidio & Geary Muni sales booth to purchase her September "M" pass and with only one person at the booth, it took nearly an hour just to buy it with her debit card. It made me wonder if her neighborhood Walgreens could eventually be able to accept those cards to pay for her pass without the long wait.

Akit Says: Skip Autoload on Clipper

There's a lot of heat coming towards Clipper these days, and that anger is coming from their Facebook page where many are arguing about the annoyances of the autoload program.

One person argues that it's another layer of annoying bureaucracy he has to mess with when making changes to his Clipper card account and reducing the amount being loaded for the next month due to a planned vacation. Another argues that his credit card has been rejected. And many others have been angry with the up to five day delay to switch their credit card accounts or their account has been blocked and will take days to get it fixed.

Going devil's advocate, there's no way to get around that five day delay. If someone wants to activate autoload when their pass expires or their e-cash balance gets low, that takes up to five days; when someone wants to alter or end autoload, that can also take up to five days. Even if someone's card gets blocked because of some funky autoload problem, that takes up to five days. That's a technical limit of Clipper because not all mobile Clipper readers (e.g. buses and Muni metro vehicles) may not get their update for a few days until they return to a yard that can connect to the Clipper server. Read more about the "five day rule."


But there's a very easy solution that can get you away from this entire wreck... just don't sign-up for autoload.

I've never been a fan of autoload, and with concern that my credit card could accidentally be rejected and my e-cash and pass (funded from pure cash or a different source) being suspended for days on end until the problem can be resolved, that's something I just don't want to touch. When you get into a problem with autoload, you have to mess with Clipper customer service, and that's just another layer of bureaucracy you need to fight with.

Here's what I do, and it works very smoothly without any hiccups throughout the time I've been using Clipper:

1. Since I use commuter benefits, I only request for one of two options: Paper vouchers or a reusable debit card with the credit value reloaded to it every month.
2. When using a paper voucher, I just go to an in-person retailer that accepts the vouchers and get it converted into e-cash or to a transit pass. When using a debit card, I go to a self-service machine and swipe the debit card to buy the e-cash or transit pass. Either way I pay for the e-cash or pass, it is available for use INSTANTLY or valid for the first day of travel for the new month.
   
3. If I ever need to add additional e-cash value, I just go to a vendor or self service machine and just pay cash or use my personal credit card. It's still available instantly for usage.

By following the steps I mentioned above, you'll never have to encounter the mess with the automatic loading process or working with customer service when your account goes awry.

About Commuter Benefits and What Your Choices Are:
If you use commuter benefits and instruct the company to automatically load it to your Clipper card, it's not worth the $2 monthly surcharge and the hassle of communicating with both your benefits company and Clipper when your e-cash or pass(es) does not get loaded on-time or goes missing.

If you went with automatic loading (via commuter benefits), you have to plan further in advance prior to the benefit company's deadline (around 15-20 days before the commuter benefits company sends the data to Clipper). If you decide to switch at the last minute (after the deadline), it would be up to Clipper if they will allow you to cancel the pass and get the e-cash value instead.

At least with a paper voucher or debit card, you are in full control of how you want to spend your commuter benefits and you get about 16 months to decide how to spend the amount (Commuter Check vouchers expires 16 months from date of issue); for example: If I go on a 10 day vacation, instead of using the voucher to get a pass, I'd instead ask for e-cash.


There are some challenges with not using autoload...

1. If you use BART's high value tickets on Clipper, autoload is a mandatory option. The only way to go around is to go back to old school high value tickets. BART has a mail-in form you can use and you can pay with commuter vouchers, personal check, or combination of both.
2. Since you don't have the ability to automatically reload e-cash upon reaching the balance threshold or a new pass on a monthly basis, you need to keep careful track of your e-cash balance or keep reminders to buy your new pass at an in-person vendor or self-service machine.

Just a last piece from me, Akit:
There's probably many of you who hasn't experienced any problems with autoload, and I congratulate you for being able to work within the system. One thing I've learned is that 99% of people will always be okay, but there's always that 1% who will yell, kick, and scream that their problems are bigger than the 1% out there, and when they do kick and scream, it's gets peoples' attention and it's worse than they are meant to believe.

My point is, if it works fine for you, keep doing what you are doing. This blog piece is to make it as hassle free as I can make it by avoiding the bureaucracy known as Clipper as much as possible. I use automated machines because they don't mess-up and I don't have to interact with possible human error at Walgreens. Plus, if my commuter benefits debit card gets rejected at the machine for some odd reason, at least my Clipper card isn't also going to be suspended; unlike others who uses autoload, gets their debit card rejected, and gets their Clipper card suspended.

June 2011 Clipper Card Updates from MTC's Operations Committee

The Operations Committee of the MTC will be meeting today at 9:30AM to discuss about what else to spend money on.

The minutes from last month's meeting (PDF document) shows the committee asked questions about the $2 monthly fee charged to those who uses third-party benefit programs and gets their passes/e-cash directly loaded to their Clipper cards. The MTC rep at the microphone said the fee is similar to what others around the nation gets charged. The fee will last for two years and will be re-reviewed after the two years is up.

At today's meeting, Clipper will be discussed in agenda item #4 (PDF document).

Here's highlights about Clipper for the month of May & early June:

• Muni's senior pass has fully transitioned to Clipper only.
• Clipper cards used on BART accounts for 32% of all BART fare transactions. Advertising about the Clipper card at stations is given credit for the nearly 1/3rd of all ridership.
• People did not take the $2 monthly fee for direct loading of passes very lightly. When compared to the past (when the fee was not charged) and today (the fee charged), only 61% said okay to paying the fee; 39% said no thanks to the fee and found alternate ways to get around it.
• Cubic is asking the MTC to shift 50% of their customer service work to a Cubic call center in Tennessee. Since the customer service phone center is in Concord, in case if there's a major power outage or problem, the Tennessee office can take the brunt.
  
• Booz Allen Hamilton, a consulting firm for Clipper has a new parent company. It doesn't affect the MTC or Clipper that much.

Contract Actions
The Operations committee will be voting upon some contracts and change of contracts:

1. A total of $1,241,000 in contracts to three companies that handles customer education and promotion of the Clipper program, and one company that conducts inspection of equipment and budgeting.
2. $250,000 will be invested to open a third Clipper customer service center. This new customer service center will be located in Oakland and will be contracted to the AC Transit ticketing office. The new service center will include advertising and improved equipment to allow such services as replacing a defective card.

Akit's Opinion & Analysis
It's amazing to believe 32% of all BART transactions happens with a Clipper card. When you don't have to worry about demagnetizing tickets and not forgetting to take a paper transfer before leaving the station, that's a big plus.

I'm still not pleased with the $2 fee for adding passes and other fare media directly to Clipper cards. A process that's so easy shouldn't come with a cost; but the alternate options with no fee can be a hassle: debit cards and vouchers costs money to produce and mail, and takes time out of peoples' day to obtain their next fare media. Clipper, MTC, and the commuter benefit agencies shouldn't wait two years, talk NOW. If 39% of people backed out, that's a serious sign the idea is FAILING.

Hard facts to swallow: The MTC says that in February 2011 "about 20,000 Clipper customers were taking advantage of the automated add value services through third party transit benefit programs..." Since 39% of people rejected the $2 hike, this computes to 7,800 people saying "up yours" to paying the fee.

If Cubic wants to shift 50% of the customer service phone calls to another state, doesn't that just mean layoffs here in the Bay Area?

It's good there will be a third in-person customer service center, and it will be the first for the East Bay. In all honesty, there should be Clipper customer service centers at all transit agency main offices or major transit hubs so it covers each county.

Lastly, why not join ("Like") the new Akit's Complaint Department fan page on Facebook? Click here and join in the fun!

MTC and Clipper Keeps Quiet About $2 Monthly Fee for Commuter Benefit Users

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission has been an advocate for Clipper card users to end the annoying $2 monthly fee for commuter benefit users who requests for direct monthly loading of passes, e-cash, and ridebooks (not vouchers and debit cards).

This $2 has been going on for many months with no news, but the MTC and Clipper folks have very quietly posted an update on April 11th about the situation.

Since the MTC and Clipper wants to be sneaky and not grab the attention of the public and mass media, I'm going to bang on the pots and pans to tell you what's going on.

The $2 monthly fee was imposed by Clipper (not MTC) to all commuter benefit companies if customers requested to the benefit company to have their pass, e-cash, or ridebooks loaded directly to their card, thereby there is no need for a plastic debit card or paper vouchers. It was up to the benefit companies if they wanted to absorb the costs or pass on the $2 to the customers.

The MTC (via Clipper's website) has quietly informed the public of an update, the policy WON'T CHANGE. That's right, the fee will still exist; this means, for some people, you may have an automatic $2 fee imposed against your commuter benefit account.

The alternatives to not being charged the fee is simple: Request a paper voucher that is valid at many in-person Clipper add value locations, or request a special debit card which is good at all Clipper automated machines, transit agency ticketing offices, ClipperCard.com, and Clipper's customer service centers at Embarcadero BART/Muni station and Bay Crossings at the Ferry Building.

For those who uses Clipper's own commuter benefits program, known as "Clipper Direct," they will not impose the $2 monthly fee.

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Akit's Opinion:

I thought the MTC was on our side (the card users) to kill off this incredibly stupid monthly fee. The most convenient way to have passes, e-cash, and ridebooks loaded to our Clipper card accounts from commuter benefit agencies, is now the most annoying way to do it because it now costs us $24 a year.

Okay, fine, we'll use the paper vouchers and debit cards to get around it (for free)... but that's not eco friendly. Paper vouchers costs money to produce by killing trees, and the labor it takes to cut the checks, stuff them, and pay for postage to mail it to customers. Debit cards are a little more eco friendly as they only send one card that's good for many years, but it's just another piece of plastic to carry around.

How low can the MTC go? Makes me sick.

Akit Returns to his Drug of Choice: Muni Pass on Clipper Card

The rumors are true (huh? What rumors?), I have returned to loading my Muni monthly pass to my Clipper card.

I reported in late April I decided to switch from an e-pass to a paper pass because of the technical problems lingering with TransLink (former name of Clipper), including a bad experience on the Cable Cars.

The reason why I switched back from a paper pass to an e-pass is because of another unfortunate situation, Commuter Check. They have been mailing me my paper pass for six months, and it went mostly well, except for my November pass. A new policy is if a person wants to have more than one fare media mailed to them, they are mailed in their own envelope. For me, I asked for a paper pass and a voucher for the remaining balance, and they sent me two envelopes. For the November pass period, I got my pass in the mail on the very last day of the previous month, which really made me feel uncomfortable.

I switched back to Clipper because I asked Commuter Check to send my funding to my commuter benefits debit card and no fear of a delay in the mail since funds are electronically added 10 days before the new month. Now I have the flexibility to purchase a monthly pass, or move the funds to Clipper e-cash in case I feel I can't make-up the $60 value of the Muni e-pass.

Another reason for the switch, since Muni's "A" pass users switched just a month ago, Muni really had to keep a good eye on the Clipper machinery used on all buses, trains, and metro stations because they knew that a broken system could mean losing thousands of dollars. I've noticed the reliability of Clipper drastically improving and it factored in my decision.

Some other Clipper thoughts:

• It would be nice if Muni installed some more Clipper card/Muni ticketing machines at Powell station's main gates (west gates). They only have three machines and there's always a line of 5-10 deep for each machine.
  
• Can BART ticketing machines be ready to add Clipper value sooner? EZ Rider's transition is going to be huge, and there's not many add value locations nearby BART stations (except downtown SF).
• Can the face of the Clipper card be a little more scratch resistant? Even a small fingernail scratch ruins the shiny card.
  

Lastly... this is my 500th blog post! I can't believe I've lasted this long.

Clipper Card: Easy Ways to Buy Passes & E-Cash without Hassles

In light of all the hell Clipper is going through, from thousands of angry WageWorks customers not getting their e-passes in time, to Clipper & MTC's public relations crew cleaning up the mess; I'm going to give you ways get your passes and e-cash funds to work every time.

I have little trust in letting my commuter benefits company transfer funds to Clipper
I've had issues with automatic loading, from being added late to just that funny feeling in my stomach that something is going to go wrong. So, I decided to just go to other ways of adding my passes and e-cash with the feeling of instant satisfaction. Once the people lose the trust in automatic loading (whether it be a glitch or fighting between two agencies), they want to find ways that adding value is available instantly on the card.


If you use commuter benefits:
Are you able to change your orders? Certain companies lets you do this over the phone or online. If you cannot make a change to your order yourself, ask your employer (sometimes the HR office) if there are other options you can take other than automatic loading of Clipper e-cash or passes.

After years of experience with Clipper and TransLink and trying various methods, here's the easiest ways to greatly reduce the risk going through another round of hell next month:

1. Mail order paper passes, that is, if you still can. Good old paper passes are familiar to drivers and fare inspectors. Just be careful of deadline dates the transit agencies set for elimination of paper passes.
2. Commuter paper vouchers is an easy option; they arrive in the mail about ten days before the new month starts, and you just claim them at most Clipper in-person locations like a local Walgreens. Since the vendor add value machines can add value and passes instantly w/out delay, it also includes a receipt as immediate proof that your passes and/or e-cash was added. If you order a monthly pass days before the new month starts, the pass information is held in the card until the first day of the month when it is activated.
3. Commuter benefit debit cards is another option if you frequent locations where automated add value machines are located (e.g. all Muni metro stations, Golden Gate Ferry terminal, and Temporary Transbay Terminal). Automated add value machines are just like in-person vendors where adding passes and e-cash is added immediately to the card without the 72-hour delay (or some wild glitch happening again like earlier this month). For Commuter check users, value is added to your personalized debit card about 10-15 days prior to the new month. Warning! Clipper's policy on all debit cards is there is a $2 temporary authorization check for every purchase; the commuter debit card must have at least an extra $2 on it to successfully purchase a pass or e-cash (example: $60 pass must have $62 on card). You'll get the $2 refunded as soon as the payment clears.

UPDATE: The new Muni ticketing machines at all metro stations can issue new Clipper cards for no charge as long as you add a minimum of $2 or buy any pass. If you have an existing Clipper card, you can use these machines to buy passes for all agencies participating in Clipper, and/or add e-cash. These machines still accept cash, credit, debit, and commuter benefit debit cards. But... it will also accept coins too. The old Clipper add value machines have been deactivated and removed from metro stations so they can be installed at Caltrain stations. BART stations should eventually be able to add Clipper card value sometime in early 2011.

UPDATE #2: Commuter benefit debit cards can't be used at most in-person locations such as Walgreens or your favorite local grocery store. The rules are very strict and complex (refer to Commuter Check Card's website). If you don't want to get into trouble, only use the card on automated machines, transit agency ticketing offices, online, or train station ticket vendors like "My Transit Plus" at BART stations.

--End of Update--

In a simple summary, just avoid the three transactions:

1. Telephone ordering.
2. Online ordering.
3. Automatic transfer of funds from the commuter benefits company to Clipper.

For those who do not use commuter benefits but still uses a Clipper card, just stick to buying passes and adding e-cash at an in-person vendor or automated machines. Here's what each service accepts:

• In-person vendor: Cash, and sometimes checks and credit cards.
• Automated machines: Cash, debit, and credit cards.

A friendly PSA: Protect the Threat of Theft
Lastly, with the influx of thousands of new cardholders and over two million transactions per month (as per KPIX), there is the potential risk that someone can skim your card's data and rip-off your account. Clipper cards don't have magnetic stripes that can be ripped-off by a tampered ATM machine, they use RFID technology and criminals can use off the shelf devices to steal your data from a distance (that's right, picking pockets has turned 21st century).

I found a company called Identity Stronghold that sells RFID resistant sleeves, wallets, and badge holders. I bought a badge holder that can protect or dramatically reduce the risk of my card being skimmed from thieves, but I can easily let a Clipper reader scan it by squeezing the top of the holder to allow the card to be read for that brief moment. With shipping, it was less than $15, but a small investment to prevent spending hours of hell with customer service and losing a lot of money.

I can't guarantee it will work. I tried the badge holder with my work's proximity card (a really old system in place for nearly a decade) and it was able to read it, but it had to be within half an inch from the reader. Removing the card or squeezing the tabs increased the range to five inches.

Clipper and WageWorks - Not a Happy Relationship

The Clipper and Wageworks folks are not on happy terms today...

Here's an announcement from Clipper on Facebook:

"We have experienced an issue processing the Wage Works Transit Benefit orders for the month of August. The issue has been identified and we are working towards a resolution. Your order may be available beginning Tuesday morning, August 3rd but may take an additional 2-3 days depending on the transit system your ride. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and we thank you for your patience."

Big surprise? Maybe for some, but not for me.

Here's the reason why it's not a surprise for me, Clipper and WageWorks have been at odds with each other. On Friday, June 25th, I reported that an upcoming Clipper board meeting on Monday, June 28th was going to address the problems between the two organizations. Here's what I stated:

"WageWorks and Clipper are not on happy terms when it comes to contract terms for peoples' WageWorks account funds being transferred to a Clipper account. The problem is being worked on by both sides, and affects approximately 5,000 people. If all else fails, Clipper will inform customers affected."

It looks like the war between the two has started.

For those who use WageWorks or literally any other commuter benefits company: ask for a debit card. I've used automatic transfer of funds from Commuter Check and Clipper, and they've sometimes didn't post my funds it until it was too late. Using a special debit card allows you to use the automated add value machines for instant funding of the card (no more 72 hour delays).

The History and Demise of Muni Tokens

If you have lived in San Francisco for at least five years, you should already know about the Muni tokens. Muni sold these little coins in bags containing ten, and made it easy for passengers to drop one little coin instead of multiple quarters or dollar bills into the farebox.

Even better, the tokens were good for life (similar to "Forever" postage stamps). When Muni sold the token bags, each token was 25 cents less than the adult cash fare, a great bargain for those who ride Muni on an infrequent basis.

Token Hoarding became a Big Problem
The tokens became a hot item to purchase when Muni announced their fare hikes months in advance. Since the tokens was fare hike resistant, people would go around to every vendor in the city to snatch all the token bags they can get their hands on and save up to 50 cents per token (tokens are purchased prior to fare hike at lower price, and utilized after fare hike).

The hoarding of tokens became so bad, there was a shortage of tokens. Muni ordered their vendors to limit sales to one bag per person, and the agency also decided to print "token tickets" as a substitute for actual tokens. The discount still applied per "token ticket" but it came with a little surprise, it was NOT fare hike resistant because there was an expiration date.

The Decline of Muni Tokens
Things changed for the little coin that saved people money. On September 1, 2005, Muni raised the adult fare from $1.25 to $1.50, but the token's special discount was to end. It was the last time the cheapskates can hoard on the token (coined version) before the hike because the price per token after the fare hike was to be the same price as the adult cash fare ($15 for 10 tokens or tickets).

Since 2005, the Muni token has been a ghost just wandering around the transit system. The token in coin and paper forms is a legal form of payment for passengers, but hardly anyone used it anymore. The coin was disappearing quick as a result of Muni realizing producing more coins was more expensive than the paper ticket version, and was a form of punishment for those who hoarded the coins just to save a few dollars (basically, those who hoarded promoted the token's demise). The paper ticket version was also not going well because passengers realized there are very few locations in the city that sells the ticket books, plus, with no discount per ticket, it was easier to shove a bill and a few quarters down the machine.

Tokens on Life Support (barely)
More recently, it has quietly disappeared with no more coins in circulation, nor paper tickets produced. The SFMTA's website now tells passengers to purchase their tokens through the Clipper card program. Clipper's price is $20 for 10 rides (e-tokens) or $2 per ride, the equivalent of paying cash or Clipper e-cash per ride on Muni.

Save the Token or Kill it?
Since Muni's current policy is the price per e-token using Clipper is the same as paying out of a passenger Clipper e-cash purse, it seems worthless for the public to even think of buying them.

Is there any real reason why Muni still sells them since it's demise in late 2005? I used to purchase the token ticket books (after 2005) because I used to get $30 Commuter Check vouchers to cover riding the bus to work on a part-time basis and I didn't need a monthly pass. Since TransLink/Clipper is now available on all Muni buses and trains, I can easily convert my Commuter Check vouchers into e-cash.

If Muni continues to sell the e-tokens using Clipper at the same price as an adult fare, the token will die for the consumer. The token can be saved if Muni is willing and able to offer passengers a discount for buying bulk pre-paid tickets through Clipper for those who infrequently rides Muni and knows buying a pass is not worth its value. Caltrain sells eight ride tickets for a discount, BART sells high value tickets with a 6.25% discount, and Golden Gate Transit & Ferry used to sell discounted commuter ticket books, but switched to Clipper by giving every cardholder the discounted rate, regardless if riding only once in a year, month, week, or daily.

Here's a good head scratching question: If Clipper is taking over sales of e-token rides, do they have an expiration? If not, the fare instrument would be fare hike resistant because people can buy as many 10 ride e-tokens as they please before the fare hike is active, thereby saving money per ride. But, if Muni demands e-cash be deducted to make-up the difference, then it's pointless to even consider buying the e-tokens regardless if they have an expiration or not.

Photo of Muni token from Flickr user "cbcastro" using a Creative Commons License.

Clipper Card Paying for SF's Parking Lots Could Cause Legal Trouble

SF Appeal and the Examiner posted reports about the Clipper card being being used for a pilot program to pay for certain San Francisco MTA owned garages at the following locations: Mission-Bartlett, Japan Center, North Beach, Performing Arts, and Vallejo.

It sounds like a great idea, extend the usage of the electronic fare card beyond public transit to pay for other items like parking lots, street meters, and maybe even your Slurpees and nachos.

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But here lies the problem... I can easily forecast a major legal issue Clipper, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and the SFMTA must resolve prior to starting this program: Commuter benefit programs.


What's Commuter Benefits?
You might be familiar with commuter benefit programs, the employer enrolls with a commuter benefit company to issue out passes, vouchers, and debit cards for the employee to take public transit or use designated parking lots that would provide a pre-taxed savings that could save a person up to 40% (average is 20%). Depending on a person's salary and how much is needed to pay for transit and/or parking, the savings can be significant.

Clipper's e-cash, e-tickets, and e-passes can be purchased using commuter benefits programs. They can be automatically added on a monthly basis, submit a paper voucher to designated in-person add value locations, and debit cards can be used at transit agency ticket offices, Clippercard.com, and automated add value machines.

It is my understanding of the commuter benefit programs that there are some restrictions on the proper usage of the funds. One detail I have learned is Clipper is not legally allowed to issue cash refunds to those passengers who cancels their Clipper card and if ever their card e-cash funds was paid with commuter benefits (just a penny in the e-cash purse from commuter benefits voids the right to a refund).

Commuter benefits can pay for parking as long as "parking at or near your work location or at or near a location from which you commute by car pool, commuter highway vehicle or mass transit" (ASI Flex).


It brings up a big question, can pre-taxed funds on a Clipper card be legally used for parking in San Francisco's garages?
That really depends... yes, a person who commutes to and from work and pays for their parking with commuter benefits are entitled to it, but how about those who uses the lots for a leisurely purpose, like paying the J-Town lot so the person can see a movie at Sundance Kabuki?

I have never heard of the SFMTA allowing their parking meter cards to be paid with commuter benefit vouchers, so how can a Clipper card funded with commuter benefits be allowed to pay for the garages?

Also, how can the system tell if a passenger is using it for a lawful purpose (parking to go to work) versus a non-commute purpose?


Let's also throw another wrench into the problem...
Clipper's potential could be extended to even more usage beyond public transit and parking, say purchasing groceries or buying a burger at a fast food restaurant.

The Octopus card in Hong Kong has grown so successful, you can buy food at McDonald's, get groceries, buy baked goods, and other unique products and services that are not transit or parking related.

This brings up a new legal challenge for Clipper... commuter benefit programs cannot pay for anything other than transit and parking.

It would likely be if items were to be purchased from a Clipper account, it would come directly from the e-cash purse. E-cash is the term used for the universal electronic funds that currently pays the fares for transit if a passenger does not have a valid pass.

Also, the source of funding for the e-cash purse can come from two ways, paid directly from the customer or paid in pre-taxed commuter benefits. By funding e-cash with pre-taxed commuter benefits, it makes the e-cash fund toxic and restricts the Clipper user's right to only use the card to pay for transit and parking. Just like I mentioned earlier, once the e-cash purse is funded with just a cent of commuter benefits, a passenger is not entitled to a refund if they cancel their card.

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Solutions?
If my analysis is true and correct, there will have to be a solution in place prior to the start of the SFMTA parking garage pilot program.

For those who funds their e-cash purse with transit benefits (assuming Clipper does not want to issue two cards: one for lawful transit purposes and the other for pleasure), there may need to be more than one e-cash purse maintained in the account. One purse would be used for commuter benefits funds while the general e-cash purse is funded through a person's out-of-pocket expenses. When riding transit, the commuter benefits purse is used first, and when depleted, the general e-cash purse is used.

But what to do with the commuter benefit funds right now? Many people have an e-cash purse that is mixed with both out-of-pocket cash and commuter benefits. If Clipper has to create two purses, how will they sort-out the mixed e-cash purse issue?

Muni Hates Commuter Benefits Users with Debit Cards

If you use a commuter benefits debit card like the Commuter Check Card, this may come to you as a surprise or maybe just a shrug, but I think you should be aware of it...

Just five days ago, the SFMTA decided to place a $2.50 surcharge for every time a customer purchases a Muni pass online.

That sucks, but I'm going to make it a lot worse...

Brittney Gilbert of Eye on Blogs reported in early March that SFMTA/Muni closed down their pass purchasing booth at Montgomery station, which was only one of two places in the city where people could buy a Muni monthly pass with a commuter benefits debit card. The other place to use a debit card was on SFMTA's online purchasing site.

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This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Muni closes down the ever popular sales booth at Montgomery while the only alternative is to purchase it online through the SFMTA web portal; plus, charge $2.50 for every purchase? Why is Muni screwing their customers who have a commuter benefits debit card?

What makes it worse is some people have no choice but to accept a commuter benefits debit card as their employer does not give them the option to take alternatives, such as a voucher, or a pass snail mailed to them.

I know what you are thinking... the alternative is to get a TransLink/Clipper card and use a debit card to purchase the pass either their automated machines or website (surcharge free). The bad part about this is there are some people who are not confident enough in the program, especially since I've been blogging about the reliability of the program.

Someone call the orderly, Muni has gone insane and needs to get some shock therapy!

What Muni Fast Pass Hike? SFMTA Hasn't Told Anyone

One of my popular postings at Akit's Complaint Department is titled: "Muni Fast Pass goes up January: How to still save money" and explains about the planned raising of Muni's adult Fast Pass from $55 (w/BART), to $60 (w/out BART) and $70 (w/BART). My source to the price hike is a link to a SF Appeal article posted on September 1, 2009.

January 2010 is not far away; there has been no word from the SFMTA/Muni of a Fast Pass price hike anywhere on their website. It's not on their front page, and not on their "Passes, Tickets, and Single-Ride Ticket Booklets" page (as of Wednesday). That's really odd.

While the SFMTA has failed to provide proper notice to the public about a pass hike; it has been widely known for the past several months that a price hike on the adult pass is planned to happen in January. Here are a list of articles you can read that supports this claim:

• "SF Board Makes Deal on Muni Budget Cuts" (SF Chronicle/SFGate; May 13, 2009)
• "BART Fast Pass Liberty Swiped" (SF Examiner; June 1, 2009)
• "Supes OK Muni Budget" (SF Chronicle/SFGate; May 28, 2009)
• "SF Supervisors Approve Big Muni Fare Hike" (CBS 5; May 13, 2009)
• "Muni Raises Fares, Cuts Service to Cover Deficit" (KTVU; May 1, 2009)

I also received an e-mail from one of my readers who works in the City and County of San Francisco and it mentioned that they know a pass hike is going to happen (courtesy of e-mails from the city's commuter benefits contractor). The person also provided his/her opinion: "Muni seems to be silent on the topic."

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My question to SFMTA/Muni: Where is the official notice to the public about the adult Fast Pass price increase?

The media can claim there will be a hike, but no official notice from the agency makes it difficult for the public to know if it is true or not.

Do they know the consequences of NOT providing ample notice of a pass cost increase?

• Commuter benefits companies must know ahead of time so they can inform their users and update their websites where people place their orders.
  
• Employees who uses commuter benefits must notify their HR or payroll supervisor with ample time (at least one month before a hike) to raise their pre-tax deduction from their payroll. At SF State, employees have until November 30th to make any deduction changes to be effective for January.
  
• For Commuter Check Direct users, the last day to make any changes for your January passes/tickets/checks is December 5th (as long as you give notice to your payroll/HR department).
  
• People who receive paper commuter benefits vouchers will be shocked that they are $5 to $15 short and must pay the remainder in cash. Remember, pre-taxed from your paycheck saves about 20%, but paying extra in cash is considered post-tax.
  
• TransLink card management must make proper adjustments to their computer software to reflect a major change. That takes time to reprogram versus printing new passes with a different cost and giving them to vendors.
  

Our public transit agency cannot give us late notice of changes. Here's a couple of not so timely changes:

• Muni posted their changes to many routes effective December 5th, but only provided the public just a month's notice (and a couple of days) of the changes.
  
• Muni failed to provide timely re-route information for 18-46th Avenue passengers due to the PGA Presidents Cup golf tournament at Harding Park. The re-routes started on Tuesday and they posted it online ONE DAY before the re-routes were in effect.
  

You can't give less than two months notice to people of a pass hike due to the major affect it will have on the public who uses commuter benefits.

Here's a lesson for Muni:

• "Early" is on-time.
• "On-Time" is late.
• "Late" is a pissed-off public.

How do I evaluate Muni's performance with providing timely notice about changes to their routes and fare structure? They FAILED. Public/government relations my ass.

Muni Fast Pass goes up January: How to still save money

If you thought the $55 cost for a Muni fast pass was totally crazy, just wait for the odd price change coming up on January 1, 2010.

SF Appeal reports SFMTA/Muni will raise the price of the adult Fast Pass to:

$60 without BART
$70 with BART

Update: The pass hike has been confirmed by the SFMTA on November 6, 2009.

Doesn't this remind you of the era of Mayor Frank Jordan when Muni changed their passes to reflect a "basic" pass that only gave passengers regular and limited buses, and the "premium" pass that included express buses, BART, and Cable Cars? The public was not happy and quickly changed their policies back to a single adult pass with all privileges.

For now... we just have to bite the bullet with the new pass structure. And once it goes into effect, make a big ruckus that this sucks.

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Let's do a little bit of math:
For the average passenger, one day's worth of Muni rides is $4 a day.

• At $60 per person is 15 days to match the value of the pass.
• At $70 a person is 17 days, plus one ride to match the value of the pass.

There are 20 working days this month (not including Labor Day), so assuming that you ride five days a week, you would save $20 for the $60 pass, or $10 for the $70 Muni/BART pass.

Just to note, this does not count for days when you may ride Muni on weekends, take the Cable Car, and/or using the BART benefit. Using it more often will increase your savings.

But be aware, BART only costs $1.75 for a local ride within San Francisco, so while you get to your destination faster (assuming you don't need to transfer to a Muni bus), you'll lose 25 cents per ride than taking Muni using your pass.

• Doing the math on this, you need to ride BART within San Francisco six times to make it worthwhile to purchase the BART add-on feature (assuming if you also ride Muni round-trip at $4 per day).
• If you ONLY ride BART within San Francisco (NO MUNI RIDING) and use the BART privilege on the Muni pass, you must ride it 40 times in a month to break even.
  

Also, you can save even more (around 20%) if your employer offers a pre-taxed commuter benefit program such as Commuter Check.

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How about the "BART Plus" pass, is there any savings?

The answer is no if you only travel on Muni, but actually worth it if you take BART outside of San Francisco and ride other agencies, except AC Transit, Caltrain, and Golden Gate Transit.

The cheapest one you can get is $86 a month ($43 half-month passes) and comes with $30 in BART fare value ($15 BART 15-day fare due to the half-month ticket policy). Inter-San Francisco free rides with the BART Plus ticket is not allowed.

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Will Muni actually print two types of passes?

While there is no official answer, it would be in their best interest to at least sell the higher pass price to only be used with a Translink card. Why? BART station agents would not be repeating the same answer to Muni pass holders that their cheaper pass can't be used on BART. Plus, if a "cheap" pass holder rides BART with the Translink card, BART makes money on that trip since the fare is deducted from the user's e-cash purse.

But it should be noted that Muni will start replacing their metro fare gates with new Translink only gates starting with the Forest Hill station in January and full conversion should be completed by the end of 2010. With this fact in mind, it would just be beneficial and cost efficient to stop printing passes and get all pass users on Translink.

This is why I keep telling people, there's the potential for a shortage of Translink cards if a transit agency mandates all pass holders to switch from paper to an electronic card. Get your card NOW. You can buy one at a Walgreens location (green dots) if you don't want to buy one online at Translink's website.

Update (12/29): Muni has printed two types of passes. The "M" pass is $60 and the "A" pass is $70. TransLink also sells both types of passes online and at their automated machines, but if you are getting them automatically loaded on a monthly basis, your pass will be automatically converted to the $70 pass. If you need the "M" pass, tell TransLink NOW.

Update: Translink Card Commuter Benefits Posted Several Days Before New Month

Update about my previous posting on Translink and the delay with adding commuter benefits:

I just contacted Translink and spoke to their manager about the situation and he informed me that the "last Friday" rule is not correct.

Their policy is to add the Translink funds between when the commuter benefits company sends the list to Translink and several days before the new month starts. The manager claims it's a "short period" but are able to input the data in time.

He also confirmed my Commuter Check Direct benefits have been added to my account, but since I took the car to work today, I'll wait until tomorrow (Tuesday) for the update to my card.

It also turned-out in a later phone call I received, Commuter Check Direct didn't include my card serial number in my account, which is really odd because I can't add or modify my Commuter Check order without my card serial number. This could be the root cause of the delay for me.

That's comforting news to hear and I hope Translink and Commuter Check does the right thing next month when my adult Muni fast pass will be posted to my account.

In other news: Translink is working well on BART's first day. SF Appeal commenters are saying how smooth it's working, and BART's twitter is re-tweeting a user's positive experience.

What's Wrong with Translink? (San Francisco, Bay Area)

For all you people who don't know, Translink is the program for the San Francisco Bay Area transit systems to provide one card for all transit systems. Think of it like your Visa card, it is accepted nearly everywhere and recognized by practically everyone. Translink does the same thing in the form of electronic cash, but improves it with the purchase of passes, automatic bus transfers, and other special features. Actually, if it worked perfectly, you can have multiple passes on your card. Plus, you never have to swipe the card, you simply wave the card near the sensor, or can be stuffed in a wallet or purse and you have to just get the card near it.

Just to note, the photo on the left is a little strange... The MTC (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) has this photo available for public use, and the lady tagging/scanning the card has the red light lit and it says that the ride is denied. How embarrassing to the lady, smiling while your ride got denied. Click on the photo to zoom in.

Smart technology, right? Of course...

But then we realize just how much of a hassle it is to get this program running. It is a welcoming sight that people who ride AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit & Ferry services can use this amazing card to get around to where they need to go. Plus a nice incentive is that AC transit users received a small discount per ride or a $10 discount for a 31 day pass.

Golden Gate Transit & Ferry services give patrons an automatic discount, treating any person like they purchased a discounted ticket book. Take a look at this grid from the Golden Gate Ferry website:

ONE-WAY FERRY CASH FARES Effective July 1, 2007
Zone 2 – Sausalito	Adult	$7.10
	Senior/Disabled/Medicare/Youth (6-18)	$3.55
	Frequent Rider Ticket Book or TransLink	$3.80
Zone 3 – Larkspur	Adult	$7.10
	Senior/Disabled/Medicare/Youth (6-18)	$3.55
	Frequent Rider Ticket Book or TransLink	$4.45

OK, two agencies are working well. Haven't heard that many complaints in the news from these two agencies within the past year.

But how about the other agencies?

San Francisco Muni: Insiders are claiming that Muni should be ready to run with Translink (except Cable Cars) by July 15, 2008 after a few delays that got the attention of the Chronicle newspaper. Unfortunately, the people at Translink and the SFMTA (the authority controlling Muni) does not mention an official release date for the program. I've already e-mailed SFMTA and Translink last week and I still have not received a reply back from them. The SFMTA website mentions that Translink is still under "testing," and does not officially condone passengers to use the new program. They claim that it is not out for the public to use yet, but warns you that if you attempt to use it, to simply be prepared to have cash ready in case it does not work.

How about, if the reader works and accepts my electronic money, I should be offered a bus transfer if the reader is not working on the next vehicle I have to transfer to? There is no official message that a transfer will or will not be issued. It kinda leaves it out of the open, aye?

I'm also fortunate that I am a Commuter Check participant, and I now have the option to have my commuter checks be automatically uploaded into the Translink program. But without official notice from Muni about using the card, I don't even want to risk it. I'll stick to my token ticket book thank you very much.

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit): They claim that they don't like the idea of Translink. Maybe it is because the company that installed those new ticket gates don't like the Motorola ERG technology? In fact... Cubic, the gate manufacturers, have their own card technology and is in strong use in the Washington DC area. Even more odd is that instead of letting Translink do a test run on the new equipment, they decided to go the opposite way by creating their own RFID card program using Cubic's technology.

In the future, we may have to carry two cards; although BART officials claim that they want to get on board the Translink wagon as well.

As for the other agencies, no word on what progress is happening.

Here is some interesting things with Translink:

• I noticed on my recent bus ride that the RTC discount cards that are issued to people who have a disability receive their photo ID card with the Translink chip embedded in their card. Whoever thought of doing this is a very smart person because since disabled people need to have this card while using the transit systems of the Bay Area make perfect test subjects to try this on the systems.
• My university that I work for and take grad school, San Francisco State University has noted in their "Master Plan" to improve the campus is to offer a "class pass" program that encourages students, staff, and faculty to ride public transit instead of driving to the University (parking is really tough, especially the free spaces in the Park Merced area). They are proposing that they want to not just offer free rides on Muni and free BART service within San Francisco, but to EXTEND BART service to also include the Daly City BART station. When BART passengers cross the San Francisco/San Mateo county line, they get heavily penalized, then it sucks for the students because they have to back trek to the San Francisco county side on the Muni bus to get to campus. The interesting part is that while the campus plans to make a deal with the two transit agencies and offer a really cheap price for the pass (like less than $70 for at least one semester), they want to also integrate this into the Translink card program (heck, it also makes them good lab rats to test out the system too!). I say, good luck SFSU and campus President Robert Corrigan, you've got a good challenge.

My credentials:

• I was a pilot tester for the second round from about 2002 to 2004. I used the older (bottom) card and it is quite beat up. The program worked great, until some driver threatened me and wanted to throw the card out of the window. Lets just say that he and his bosses got a major lashing from me and the Translink program manager for mistreating me.
• The new card they issued works, but I haven't used it in a very long time. If Muni can get their act going and officially get this thing moving, I'd be proud to use the card.
• I gave a lot of feedback to Translink, to the point where the customer service people knew me by first name basis only.

My goals for Translink:

1. Get Muni, BART and Caltrain up and going no later than the end of August. If they can meet the July 15th deadline, even better.
   
2. These three agencies needs to start to recruit testers now. I know that Muni has their equipment installed and operational on nearly all their vehicles except Cable Cars.
3. Get the other agencies up and running not by the year 2010, but at at least sometime in 2009.
4. SFSU (San Francisco State University) should push for the Translink with "class pass" program now. Students cannot take advantage of the Commuter Check Program, but as a staff member, I have that privilege to save money because it is automatically deducted from my paycheck, and it is pre-taxed funds.

Comments are welcome!
Post at: http://www.akit.org/2008/06/whats-wrong-with-translink-san.html