Will Muni Paper Pass Vendors Convert to Clipper?

The October Muni "A" adult fast pass will be the last one issued in paper form, and starting in November, all "A" passes must be on Clipper. Starting next week, vendors will receive their last shipment of "A" passes to sell to customers several days before the new month.

This brings me to the question of the day: There are several dozen vendors around the city that sells the paper version of the "A" pass, but will they elect to sell Clipper media or will the SFMTA or Clipper even allow the paper pass vendor to get the specialized equipment?

A majority of the vendors around San Francisco that can conduct Clipper transactions are Walgreens locations. For paper passes, typically your nearby corner liquor store or your favorite grocery store may not be able to sell your favorite fast pass anymore.

If Muni or Clipper does not add more vendors at more convenient locations, will people panic that they can't get their pass? Like I mentioned earlier, online and phone ordering is a hassle with the annoying 72-hour waiting policy, this is why in-person vendors makes adding value and passes such a breeze.

One good example of a Muni pass vendor is my favorite senior services organization, Kimochi. Located in Japantown, they sell a lot of the senior passes at their nutrition [lunch] program, and it will definitely become more difficult coming in January when the paper pass is phased out for the blue card. Some of the big challenges includes helping the seniors apply for the senior version of the Clipper card, educating them on the rules and policies, and training the volunteers that collect the money for pass sales to be trained on the use of the equipment.

Sure, I think most adults are able to get prepared for the major Clipper transition, but I worry about the disabled, seniors and youth if they are ready for this big change. Disabled RTC cardholders are lucky, they already have pre-installed Clipper technology in their card, but seniors and youth needs to register for the card, in which the turnaround time could be a while with the influx of other applicants from AC Transit due to their pass transition for youth.

Time will tell folks. We'll see what happens.

New Muni Metro Gates in Action (with Videos) & How to Beat the Surcharge

The new Muni metro gates and ticketing machines are now in use at the Powell station's main gates (west entrance) and things are not going as well as they planned. With only three ticketing machines issuing the new paper tickets, the lines were very long. When compared to BART, they have nearly a dozen; Muni needs to add a few more for this busy station.

Since it was too challenging to film while people are impatient after waiting ten minutes to buy a ticket, I went down to Civic Center station to try out the ticketing machines and gates, and make a couple of videos on how to use the new equipment.

As I mentioned before, the purchasing of each new "limited use ticket" or LUT costs 25 cents, valid only on Muni, and expires in 90 days. Since nobody likes to get nailed with fees, here's an easy way to avoid it:

• The new ticketing machines can also issue plastic Clipper cards with NO SURCHARGE! Since Clipper is still doing the promotion to issue free cards to the general public, the machines will also give you a new card as long as you add a minimum of $2.
• Instead of paying $2.25 for a paper ticket surcharge (25 cents) and one ride ($2), just follow the on-screen instructions to obtain a Clipper card with $2 balance, add $2 in cash to the machine, and you have a brand new reusable Clipper card that lasts longer than paper, won't expire in 90 days, and can be used on other agencies.

Let's watch a couple of brand new YouTube videos I produced about the new metro equipment.

How to use the new gates with paper Muni passes:

How to Add Clipper E-Cash using New Ticketing Machine:

How Much is Your Clipper Card Worth? Just $2.11

Ever wondered, how much does it cost the MTC to buy new Clipper cards to distribute to the public? The answer is... $2.11 each.

This was discovered in the MTC's Operations Committee meeting agenda, and will be discussed tomorrow meeting at their hearing. (See Clipper contract PDF document)

In order for Clipper to meet the demand of the public with the plastic cards, the agency will need to order an additional 475,000 cards at a cost of $1,000,000 (one million dollars), including tax "in order to meet projected demand through FY 2010-11" and to keep a small reserve just in case of a spike in demand.

Strange, isn't it? Once Clipper ends their "free" distribution, people must pay $5 to get a card. I guess that extra $2.89 is the labor cost ($5 - $2.11 = $2.89).


Other Clipper related news from the Operations meeting agenda...

• For the month of August, Clipper transactions per day exceeded 100,000.
• Also, for the month of August, Muni is #1 when it comes to Clipper usage, followed closely by BART, AC Transit, and Golden Gate Transit/Ferry. Hmmm... where's Caltrain?
• VTA and Samtrans has passed their "revenue ready" stage and should be ready to accept Clipper payment sometime this Fall.
• Since Clipper cards have been given away since their debut on June 16th, the documents claim the free giveaways have resulted in distributing "several hundred thousand" of the cards.
• Clipper intends to modify their free card giveaway policy: "...the program plans to adopt a new policy in September that will require customers to add a nominal amount of value when acquiring a new card; this policy is intended to discourage customers from unnecessarily acquiring multiple cards or otherwise misusing the cards."
• Golden Gate Ferry is going to receive new fare gates and ticketing machines in the future as a way to automate their process. Exactly similar to what Muni is installing right now (including the paper limited use tickets), the MTC intends to spend $148,000 to procure the machines and wire it up.
  

Trying the New Muni Fare Gates & Ticketing Machines

During the next few weeks, Muni is installing the new fare gates and activating the ticketing machines. To give you a refresher, I mentioned in previous posts about what the new gates are like, and how the new limited use ticket works.

Just last week, the new gates and ticketing machines was activated at Civic Center station. The east entrance (primary agent booth) has half of their gates are new while the other half are turnstiles. However, the ticketing machines are not yet ready. The west entrance (secondary agent booth) has all brand new gates and ticketing machines active for usage.

Since I had to go see Wicked one last time before it was to leave the Orpheum forever, it was time to try out the brand new equipment. Here's a brief summary of my experience:

1. When exiting the station, the swing gates are slow to identify you so it can open. You have to break your walking stride by stopping until the gates open.
   
2. When entering the system, once you approach the gate you want to enter, the optical sensor notices your presence and asks you to tap your Clipper card.
3. The ticketing machines work well, but when tagging your card to add value, you have to hold it on the sensor tag for a long period of time. Oddly, other transit agencies don't have that lag time with the exact machine from the same manufacturer.
   
4. Strangely, the machines forces you to pick how much e-cash value you want to add (minimum $2). Old Clipper add value machines is just insert as many dollar bills as you want and that's your value. The new machines do have an edge, it can issue change while the Clipper machines won't.
   
5. Users of paper passes can enter using the card swipe device. With your right hand, face the pass stripe down and to your left, and swipe the pass in a downward motion.
6. While Muni transitions their old turnstiles for the new gates, if you use a Limited Use [paper] Ticket, at anytime you enter the station with turnstiles, the card must be tagged to the stationary reader next to the agent's booth. The turnstiles with Clipper readers won't accept them.
7. For the love of god, please don't use the new emergency swing gates. The alarm sound is really really annoying.

Here's the time schedule for the installation and activation of the new gates (as per SFMTA):

• Civic Center: Already active since last week
  
• Powell: Week of September 6th (this week)
• Castro and Church: Week of September 13th
• Embarcadero, Montgomery, and Forest Hill: Week of September 20th
• West Portal and Van Ness: Week of September 27th

Basically, Muni expects to complete the transition by early October. In November, the transition of paper "A" passes and disabled stickers will be Clipper only.

Hopefully, Muni and Cubic (manufacturers of the gates and ticketing machines) can shake out the bugs for quicker responsiveness of the system.

The New Limited Use Muni Tickets

I mentioned before about Muni's new installation of fare gates and ticketing machines in their underground metro stations, and there's some new information out about the program.

Since the new fare gates will not accept cash, it will be similar to BART where passengers must buy their tickets at vending machines near the gate entrances.

The new tickets Muni will be providing are known as "Limited Use Muni Tickets." From some earlier news reports, it was supposed to be called the "Limited Use Ticket" or better known as the "LUT," but it's funny to note that someone might just add an "S" before "LUT."

The new paper tickets Muni will issue is Clipper compatible, but it has some awkward features that separates it from it's big brother, the Clipper card:

1. The paper ticket is only valid for Muni.
2. The cost of each paper ticket issued from the machine is a 25 cent surcharge.
3. It can be replenished as many times a passenger wants, but there's a 90 day expiration from date ticket was issued.
4. It is only sold by the ride, and only up to two rides can be purchased to the card.
   
5. Once the ticket is encoded with either the adult price or the discount (youth/senior/disabled) price, it can't be converted to the different category when reloading card.
   
6. 90 minute transfers are automatic.

If you want my recommendation, if you live in the Bay Area, just get a Clipper card. If you are just bringing friends or family from out of town, I'd suggest buying a Muni Passport. The paper ticket is more of a joke by charging a 25 cent surcharge; it's the similar feeling of being nickel and dimed for all the surcharges of buying a ballgame ticket.

Why not be a good citizen? Once you use up your paper ticket, just leave it nearby one of the ticket machines so that other person doesn't have to pay that annoying ass surcharge.

Update: Google Maps and Some of 511 Ready for Muni Changes this Saturday

Some good news from my last posting...

Google Maps transit planner now reflects new schedule changes as long as you tell the system a date on or after September 4, 2010.

However, 511's trip planner program still reflects the old schedule when I asked it to show me the time schedule for the 18-46th Avenue for my regular commute.

On the brighter end of 511, the Muni timetables are ready for the schedule changes. To view your bus schedule, type in: http://www.sfmta.com/ and include the bus line. Example: http://www.sfmta.com/18

The above time schedule from 511 shows the 18-46th Avenue weekday midday buses will run every 20 minutes instead of the current 25 minutes.

Whoo-hoo! But bad news for me, my bus will now arrive several minutes earlier. Rats.

511 and Google Maps Not Ready for Next Week's Muni Service Changes

Starting this Saturday, Muni will be restoring some service prior to the last round of service cuts that happened in early May of this year. The SFMTA has published a paper version of the frequency schedule for the vehicles and there is also one posted online to view as well. Also, the better news is the restoration of metro service for the M-Ocean View and K-Ingleside lines beyond St. Francis Circle. This should be a big relief to those City College and SF State students who have suffered on the temporary bus substitutes.

While Muni can celebrate the restoration of service, there is one big elephant in the room that has not been resolved, a new published time schedule (not frequency schedule). Not all passengers ride trunk lines that comes every several minutes; I depend on a time schedule for the 18-46th Avenue because it currently runs on 20-25 minute frequencies and I want to minimize waiting, especially on cold or wet days.

Currently, Google Maps refuses to give passengers any transit directions help for dates on and after September 4th, and 511's Take Trip Planner is providing the old time schedules.

Here's how I conducted my trip planning search:

• Starting point: 33rd Avenue and Geary
• Ending point: Lake Merced and Font (SF State)
• Bus line used: 18-46th Avenue
• Date: Tuesday, September 7, 2010
• Expected frequencies: 20 minutes all day (previously, 20 minutes during rush, and 25 minutes mid-day)
  

Here's proof:

This screen shot is from Google Maps. It is unable to give me data for my journey.


This screen shot is from 511. It gave me 25 minute frequencies based on the schedule provided when Muni promised 20 minute frequencies for weekday mid-day service (starting 9/7/10).


Here's an easier to read frequency schedule based on using 511's trip planner. There was a link on the previous screen shot that opened a window describing the time schedule. The times provided shows a 25 minute frequency while the agency is supposed to provide 20 minute service starting next week.

This is the third time I caught Muni with their pants down. They did this stunt in December with their first round of service reductions and major re-routes, and again in May with their service cuts. Both Google Maps and 511 was not prepared for the time schedule changes until just days before the changes were to take into effect.