It Could Take Up to 5 Days for Clipper Card Value to be Added

One of my most popular blog posts here at the Complaint Department talks about the 72 hour rule for TransLink (previous name of the current Clipper Card system), and that any purchases for the smart card system that is done by phone or online can take up to three days to be available.

Clipper has revised this policy by warning customers that it could take up to five days, and while that does sound disappointing that it's extended by two days, we should not be too concerned about this.

I thought this would be a good time to revise how purchasing Clipper value works... here we go!


Here's how adding value works:
If you purchase e-cash, passes, ridebooks, etc. by handling it in-person (vendor, ticket office, automated self-service ticketing machine), the items are loaded on the card and available for use immediately, or if a date specific pass, valid on the first day of the specific period.

If purchased online or phone, your new Clipper card purchase will NOT be available for use immediately. All the Clipper readers will know about your new value upon receiving their update from the Clipper server, and depends on when they get their update. Stationary readers like at BART gates gets the server update within 24 hours as they are hard wired to the Clipper network. Mobile readers on buses and trains don't get an update until they return to the yard; not all buses and trains return to the yard on a daily basis, that's why there's up to a five day waiting period.

When you tag your card to an updated reader, your new value will be added to your card, while at the same time, handle your transaction to pay your fare or validate your transit pass. If your card has the newly updated balance, but the second card reader you use doesn't have the update, it will honor the most recent information that is stored in your card.


That's a lot of material I just mentioned, here's an easy way to understand how adding Clipper value works:
If you own an Amazon Kindle and purchase an e-book using your Kindle, the book is downloaded to your Kindle and you can read it immediately. (Just like getting Clipper value at an in-person vendor or machine)

If you own a Kindle and decide to purchase the e-book on Amazon.com to be loaded to your Kindle, your Kindle won't know about the new e-book until you turn on the Kindle and activate the wireless feature to sync with the Amazon servers and get your new e-book. (Just like purchasing Clipper value online or by phone)


So you might be thinking this entire five day waiting period just plain sucks. I'd agree, but there are other fine options to beat the five day period:

• Like I explained earlier, purchasing it in-person means you get to use the funds immediately. Vendors have credit card style terminals fitted with a special Clipper read/write device that can update your card immediately. Automated machines can update the card immediately because it validates the cash you fed it, or getting approval from your credit/debit card company to make the purchase.
  
• Clipper's autoload program is the other option as the system will automatically add a new pass or e-cash when you reach a threshold or the pass expired. To activate this feature, you must register your card with Clipper and activate it online.

Be warned: If you have autoload, keep a close eye on your registered credit/debit card. If your autoload purchase gets declined by the credit/debit card company or the card expired, your Clipper card could be blocked from further usage because you have a debt owed to Clipper.

You may notice upon tagging your card that your new cash balance or pass was loaded, but when the reader communicates the new autoload transaction to the Clipper server and the server finds out you have a bad credit/debit card, Clipper's server will send a new message to all Clipper readers upon their next update to block your Clipper card from further usage. When you tag your card to a reader with the update to red flag your card, your card is re-written stating your Clipper card is banned from further usage until you resolve your problems with customer service. Once customer service resolves it and they tell the server to remove the blockage, you could wait up to five days for the server to communicate to the readers that the blockage is to be removed from your card's memory chip. When you tag your card to a reader with the command to remove the blockage, and your card is re-written to say your card is in good standing; but if the next transit vehicle says you still have a blockage (didn't get updated), the card reader will honor the latest update as noted on your Clipper card's memory chip.

To fully explain about how this all works, Clipper recently posted a Flash animation explaining about how to add value. To view it, click here.

(Photo is from Clipper card's website)

Adding Clipper Card Value at BART Ticketing Machines: Trial Run Until Friday

Curse you BART ticketing machines for not being able to add Clipper card value!

But wait... I told you before BART will be having that ability soon, and there's some great news from the agency:

Starting today to Friday, you can now try out select machines to test at two BART stations in San Francisco.

The two stations: Glen Park & Civic Center.

Testing hours: This Wednesday from 1:30PM to 7PM, and Thursday & Friday from 7AM to 7PM.

There will only be one machine at each station that will handle the Clipper transactions for this test phase. BART engineers will be on-hand to see how it's going, and if you can't find the machine, ask the station agent.

If you want to add with a debit/credit card, you can only do so at Glen Park. Cash will be accepted at both stations. If you pay with cash, you can get a maximum of $4.95 in change (e.g. I want $18 in value, but feed a $20, I'll get back $2).

This is only a test of the machines, and if everything goes well, roll-out on the BART system will happen gradually for the next few months. Please remember, these machines don't issue new cards, you must have a card in possession to participate in this trial.

For more info, click here for BART's press release.

New Muni & Nextbus Stop ID Numbers at Bus Stops

Before you start reading today's blog post at the Complaint Department, I have some great news to tell you: I am in today's San Francisco Examiner about the addition of service on Muni's 38L-Geary Limited to fill-in the 2.5 hour gap. You can read the article here or get today's print edition and look at page five. Hooray!


This is something I've been waiting for a long time, Muni and Nextbus are putting up stop ID numbers at stops where the electronic signage is not installed.

I first noticed these in my neighborhood at the 18-46th Avenue bus stops where there's no waiting shelter. The stickers were big and put on the poles painted in yellow saying "BUS STOP."

The stickers are spreading around the city; the one photographed is on 14th Avenue & West Portal for the 17-Parkmerced stop.

If you ever wanted to find out when your next bus or train was to arrive, but you are not at a bus shelter with the electronic signage installed, calling 511's voice automated system was a little challenging if you didn't know the "stop ID number." The system would ask you for the transit agency's name, bus/train line, direction (inbound or outbound), and location of the stop. Sometimes, the system would not recognize the route you requested, especially the K/T lines and the Powell/Mason/Hyde Cable Cars.

But fear no more SF citizens! We just tell 511 the digits and that's it! I can't afford an iPhone, so I rely on 511 to provide me the information.

If you want to use text messaging for Muni predictions, just follow these steps:

• Text message contact number: 41411
• Message: "nextmuni (and the bus ID #)" For example: "nextmuni 16896"
  

Akit's Huge Victory Over Muni - No More Stranded 38-Geary Riders

I can now declare a huge victory! Akit's Complaint Department has been successful in having Muni adjust their bus schedules to fill in the two and a half hour gap of no inbound service at the 48th Avenue & Point Lobos terminal for the 38L-Geary Limited and 38-Geary.

A little background...
I've known for months that Muni has been leaving passengers stranded for nearly 2.5 hours on Saturday nights at the 48th Avenue starting point. The time gap is when the last inbound 38L-Geary Limited (5:37PM) departs and the first local 38-Geary departs (8:02PM). I finally got fed-up with the problem after seeing lots of people standing there with no bus in sight to take them home.

On January 5th, I wrote a blog entry to expose this huge gap that left passengers out in the cold and my proof was reviewing the schedules posted on 511.org.

The blog post got Muni's attention when they decided to take the easy route by posting an online notice to the public about no service on Saturday, January 15th. The next day, I criticized Muni for not trying to find a better solution, and for not placing signage at the bus stop to tell people of the 2.5 hour gap; nearly a dozen people were left stranded for hours for a Muni bus to take them home.

A Huge Victory!
The victory is super sweet today because Muni added extra 38L-Geary Limited buses to pick-up passengers on Saturday evenings from 5:37 to 8:02PM. 38L buses departs from 48th Avenue every 10 minutes starting from 5:30PM to 7:10PM, and the last three are 7:22, 7:35, and 7:48PM (see 38L Saturday inbound schedule). The next bus would be the regularly scheduled 38-Geary local bus at 8:02PM (see 38 Saturday inbound schedule).

But the victory celebration doesn't end there...
If you didn't read the above paragraph carefully, this is what makes my victory party even better, the 38L-Geary Limited service will now operate for TWO MORE HOURS!

Why? That's because the old schedule said the last 38L is supposed to leave at 5:37PM and therefore the 2.5 hour gap until 8:02PM. Instead of adding extra 38-Geary local stop buses, they added 13 MORE LIMITED RUNS! (5:40PM to 7:48PM), which means, you can go out and eat dinner, and still catch that inbound 38L-Geary Limited bus home.

A little blogger can make a big difference to our great city of San Francisco (Akit for Mayor or Supervisor?). Now, let's celebrate, sing it Kool & The Gang! Anyone want to dance the electric slide?

UPDATE 1/25: I'm in today's SF Examiner! Click here to read article or get today's print edition and look at page five.

Support Caltrain's Weekend Baby Bullet Service - Ride It!

Caltrain is getting hit hard with some serious budget shortfalls since the agency depends on funding from SFMTA/Muni, Samtrans, and VTA. But while they had to cut a few trains here and there, the one cool bonus is the pilot program for weekend Baby Bullet train service.

If you have ever taken Caltrain on the weekends, all the trains are local, and it can take a long while to get to your destination. The popular Baby Bullet that provides express service on the weekdays are now on weekends for the next couple of months. I'd say, that's a great benefit, especially I'm not 100% comfortable driving my car on the 101 or 280 from SF to San Jose.

While it is great to get from SF to SJ in about an hour, one of the big problems is they are only running one bullet train set for the entire weekend service, and the timetable shows that it better benefits South Bay residents wanting to visit San Francisco because the schedules are in favor of them (e.g. mid-morning express, versus the early afternoon southbound express).

If Caltrain wants to be impressed that Baby Bullet weekend service should stay, we need to ride it to our favorite destinations. I plan to take it this gorgeous weekend down to San Jose for some of the best ramen at San Jose's Japantown and ride the light rail to Miliptas for some new shoes.

If Caltrain believes this is too popular, maybe they'll add on additional service for more flexibility. Keep on riding everyone!

All-Day Express Bus Service for the 38-Geary?

As I'm sitting here at home taking the day off work due to the cold, I spent time watching a bunch of YouTube videos about bus rapid transit (BRT) used in places like Bogota, Colombia. They spent a dozen years developing their transit system to allow people to travel long distances quickly with unique features including level platform boarding, free feeder buses to major stations where passengers pay only for the BRT ride, and a central control office that operates like an airport's traffic control tower.

While us San Franciscans can dream of the day when we can have bus rapid transit on corridors like Geary Boulevard, Van Ness Avenue, and 19th Avenue/Park Presidio, there are some serious issues when it comes to implementing BRT here in San Francisco:

• One of the reasons why a city would build BRT is due to severe traffic congestion. Sure, it would rip away a few lanes of traffic, but if the system works successfully, more would ride the bus instead of taking their cars. San Francisco does not have a huge traffic problem, even though we do get grumpy about how long it takes to drive along 19th Avenue.
• Another reason why a city would build BRT is because it either serves multiple cities/counties or the city is so large, it truly needs a transit service that is fast. San Francisco isn't that big and Muni only serves San Francisco (okay, part of Marin County on Sundays). AC Transit and VTA operates in a larger area, thereby the BRT service was a necessity to move people around.
• Lastly, BRT would be built in areas that are not highly developed, but having the line would actually help build development. If Muni targets Geary and Van Ness corridors, it's likely they'd face some heavy resistance from store owners and residents about the construction and/or loss of business and parking. Muni got lucky with 3rd Street, since it wasn't that much residential and was mostly industrial, it was an easy build to get the T-Third line running, and the new transit line helped build new housing projects and the UCSF Mission Bay campus.

I was thinking to myself, could Muni fix the 38-Geary to provide faster service to our city's residents without the huge expense of building BRT?

Sure, the 38L-Geary Limited was a smart idea to shave about 10 minutes from end to end, but it still has a reputation for being slow. The Geary express buses during peak morning and evening hours are fast and popular, but they don't run all day long to provide that great service to the public.

If the city can't build BRT service, why not modify the Geary bus line service? Instead of having a skip-stop service like the 38L, why not split the limited buses into three segments and have an all-stop local/feeder bus?

• The "A" line service provides skip-stop service (using existing 38L stops) from downtown to Presidio.
• The "B" line service provides skip-stop service from Park Presidio to Presidio, and expresses to downtown.
• The "C" line provides skip-stop service from 48th Avenue to Park Presidio, and expresses to downtown.
• The "local" line services all stops on existing 38-Geary bus stops for those who cannot walk from the skip stop to their final destination.

Presidio Avenue and Park Presidio Boulevard are the two main transfer points for the skip-stop buses. A passenger needing to go from 6th Avenue to 48th Avenue can ride the "B" bus to Park Presidio, and a timed transfer for the "C" bus is there to take the passenger to 48th.

The three lines is made for passengers to go to & from downtown with express service for those living far away from the downtown region, but it can still be treated like the 38L-Geary Limited because the transfer points still allow those to ride to their destination that's not in downtown.

I'm not exactly sure how faster the ride might be. For sure, the "B" and "C" lines would be quicker because it doesn't have to make additional stops between their region and downtown, and can utilize the Masonic tunnel and Fillmore underpass. If Muni also implements ticketing machines at stops, the buses don't have to idle at their designated stops that long.

Muni is Paying Attention to Akit's Blog - But There's One Mistake They Made

As a result of some recent Akit's Complaint Department reports, Muni has taken the positive steps to make changes after I challenged them to do better.

Youth and Senior Muni Paper Passes - Extended Until May
I was the first to report before the news media and the press office of Muni said it was official: the youth and senior paper passes was extended from January to May.

I first got word from Clipper on their Twitter account, and not long later, Muni quietly updated their website to say the paper passes will end in May.

My initial post about the delay.
My second post about Muni quietly confirming the delay.

But I still challenged Muni do to a little better; they needed to at least get the word to the general public, and their press room did. Read the press release here. They also sent out the same press release via e-mail to local media outlets.

The 2.5 Hour Gap for Saturday evening service for the 38L and 38-Geary
I argued that it was not appropriate for Muni's most heavily used transit line to have a 2.5 hour gap of no service on Saturday evenings when the last 38L departs 48th & Point Lobos at 5:37PM, and the first 38-Geary (regular) bus leaves at 8:02PM.

One of my commentators pointed out Muni posted a service alert over a week later to give notice to the general public about the 2.5 hour gap. Sadly, the agency took the easy route by publishing a notice, and did not correct the bus schedule to at least fill in the large gap.

(The best solution is to have all Fort Miley operators during the 2.5 hour gap to make a right turn on Point Lobos at 43rd, pick-up the folks at 48th Avenue, and start their run inbound towards downtown.)

To make matters worse, I drove by the bus stop just after 6PM on Saturday the 15th and noticed about a dozen standing at the 48th & Point Lobos stop. Some of them looked like tourists while the rest are locals. Since Muni made an effort to put a public notice online, did they post at a rider alert sign at the bus stop? The answer is no. There was ZERO signage at the stop. I saw the 38L outbound that just dropped off passengers drive off back to the garage. There wasn't even a Muni supervisor at the stop, unlike on Saturday the 8th when I noticed the white city truck at the location.

As a courtesy, I decided to pull over my car and give a call to 311. I told the person about the issue and asked for a Muni supervisor to go over there and inform the people because there was no signage telling them to walk six blocks to 42nd Avenue.

It took five minutes to explain this to the 311 operator. Why? The operator is a total moron; he said: "the 38-Geary doesn't run to 48th Avenue from 8AM to 6PM." Well, no shit Sherlock, I live in the Outer Richmond district and know the 38 and 38L lines very well; were you listening to a word I said about the problem? I told him to go to the SFMTA website and look at the alerts.

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I like it when one person can make big changes to a major city agency; but it's only bittersweet for me because Muni messed-up by not modifying 38-Geary service or posting a notice at the bus stop.