Changes in Automatic Fare Collection

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Changes in Automatic Fare Collection

• by Aaron Berkovich for Prof. Kopecs CIS-763
• Spring 03

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AUTOMATIC FARE COLLECTION

• Changes noticed as soon as they come
• Used to be focused on single operators
• Currently focused to meet regional mobility

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Brief history of fare control in New York City

• Tickets ticket choppers operated by guards at
  each station.
• Turnstiles installed to prevent fare evasion by
  TA employees. First turnstiles accepted tickets
• Coin turnstiles introduced in honor of 1939-40
  World Fair
• Tokens in use since MTA was formed in 1953
• Coin-token turnstiles appeared in the 80s, as
  the first attempt of AFC, but this project didnt
  prove successful.
• Modern turnstiles introduced in 1994. These
  turnstiles accept tokens and MetroCard.
• High entrance-exit MetroCard only turnstiles
  replaced so-called Iron Maidens.

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MetroCard in New York City

• 1994 Introduction of MetroCard at
• selected subway stations and buses.
• May 15, 1997 MetroCard
• is accepted all over the
• NYC Transit system.
• July 4, 1997 Free bus-subway
• and subway-bus transfers are introduced.
• January 1, 1998 Introduction of the one-fare
  bonus for each 15 spent on a card.
• July 4, 1998 Unlimited ride MetroCards are
  introduced.

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MetroCard vending machines

• Offer all kinds of MetroCard transactions
• Interacts with users via touch-sensitive screen
• Larger machines accept cash, credit cards,
  ATM/debit cards smaller machines dont accept
  cash
• Doesnt sell tokens, but sells single-ride
  magnetic-stripe paper cards instead.
• Allowed to reduce number of token-booth clerks

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Dealing with fare hikes

• TOKEN nice to passengers, headache to TA
• In face of a coming fare hike, passengers could
  save money by purchasing tokens in advance,
  unless TA introduced new tokens as happened in
  1995.

• METROCARD nice to TA, not as nice to
  passengers
• AFC system can be reprogrammed as soon as the
  new fare is effective. No reason to change
  cards. No way to save money by advanced
  purchase.

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History of fare control in Moscow Metro

• 1935 thru 40s fare is paid with
  cardboard/paper tickets
• 1942-43 first turnstiles, accepting coins,
  installed at some stations
• 1958 token turnstiles installed at some stations
• 1961 turnstiles reprogrammed from tokens to
  coins, due to monetary reform, and installed at
  all stations, as well as change machines
• 1992 new metal tokens introduced in March, and
  changed to plastic tokens in November
• 1993 two experimental turnstiles installed at
  one station to accept magnetic-stripe cards
• 1996 AFC system installed throughout the Metro
• 1997 first-generation magnetic-stripe tickets
  go out of use
• 1998 experimental use of contactless smart
  cards, as well as single- and double-ride
  magnetic-stripe tickets
• 1999 campaign against illegal magnetic-stripe
  cards tokens go out of use
• 2000 introduction of new smart cards good for
  subway and commuter rail
• 2002 school passes completely changed from
  magnetic-stripe to smart cards.

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Magnetic Stripe Technology

• Used in Credit, Debit, ATM cards
• Data are recorded to, read or erased from the
  magnetic stripe, similar to sound or video
  recording.
• Stripe has particles each particle is given a
  magnetic polarity
• Data are recorded in tracks. The more tracks a
  stripe has, the more data it can store. ATM
  cards usually have three tracks.
• Standards are established for materials from
  which a card or a stripe is made, stripe
  locations, track locations, and data encoding
  methods

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Smart Card Technology

• 8-bit chip microprocessor embedded in a card
• available for either or both contact or proximity
  (non-contact) reading
• Card as active participant in conversation
• 1 kilobyte of RAM, 24 kilobytes of ROM, 16
  kilobytes of programmable ROM, and an 8-bit
  microprocessor running at 5 MHz
• Widely used in Europe, but not so much in America

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Magnetic Stripe vs. Smart Card advantages and
limitations

• MAGNETIC STRIPE
• Advantages
• Read/write capabilities
• Relatively high data density
• Security against casual counterfeiting
• Reliability, and
• Low cost-per-use
• Limitations
• Contact reading
• Initial cost per card
• Potential magnetic damage to low coercivity
  stripes

• SMART CARD
• Advantages
• Large memory allows to personalize each card
  for its user
• Multi-application use is possible (though not so
  widespread in the U.S., but widely used this way
  by many European transit systems)
• Limitations
• cost
• potential for physical damage

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SmarTrip in Washington DC

• First smart card AFC system in the U.S., started
  in 1999
• Based on GO CARD System, developed by Cubic
  Transportation Systems
• Number of cards in use exceeded 100 in year 2000
• used in place of a Metrorail paper farecard
• earns a 10 bonus value when 20 or more is added
  using cash, credit or ATM card
• maximum value of 180 (plus bonus) can be added
  onto a SmarTrip card

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CTA Transit Card vs. Chicago Card

• Started in 2000 with Smart Card pilot program
• Costs 5 even if has no money on it
• A card can hold any amount from 0.05 to 100
• Permanent store-value card, unlike the
  magnetic-stripe Transit Cards, which has
  expiration date
• Chicago Card contains no magnetic material and
  therefore cannot be demagnetized

• Magnetic stripe farecard, introduced in 1997
• Completely replaced tokens by 1999
• 1 bonus for each 10 spent
• Unlimited-ride cards also available

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Leader in AFC technology

• Involved in mass transportation market since 1971
• The only company still in business since those
  times all its competitors came and left this
  business
• Designs different kinds of AFC systems magnetic
  stripe, smart card, automated ticketing
• Designed AFC systems worldwide New York,
  Chicago, Sydney, Singapore, and many others
• UK/European operations are the largest part

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Another worldwide Smart Card developer

• BERLIN the first phase of smart card fare
  collection field trial was implemented in 1999.
  The previously existing Berlin transport system
  operated on a flat fare, paper-based ticketing
  system. The new system operates with a time- and
  distance-based fare structure where the smart
  card serves as a reusable ticket. Individuals can
  buy public transport "units" with cash or
  electronic transfer payments at distribution
  outlets or through stationary and mobile
  ticketing machines. These units are loaded
  directly onto their smart cards and can then be
  debited by special contactless check-in/check-out
  terminals at subway stations or aboard buses and
  trams.
• NANJUNG, China smart-card-based AFC system
  introduced in the city shortly after Berlin.
• Another Chinese city that uses Motorolas AFC
  product is Lanzhou

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Smart Card in New York? Why not?

• In December 01, Governor Pataki approved the
  first step toward the adoption of an integrated
  region-wide transit fare payment system. The new
  51 million fare collection system, approved by
  the Board on Thursday, will ensure that the PATH
  system accepts both "smart cards" and MTA
  MetroCards. Using this technology, PATH riders,
  and eventually riders of other regional transit
  systems, will be able to deduct transit fare
  purchases against user accounts that can be
  linked to a credit card, as is done with E-Z Pass
  accounts. Riders who use both PATH and NYCTA
  subways and buses will also be able to use
  MetroCards in both systems, marking the first
  integration of MetroCards into other transit
  systems. The new smart card fare collection
  system, expected to be in place on PATH within
  two years, is designed to be accepted eventually
  on subway, bus and rail lines throughout the
  region.

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Bibliography

• NYS official website press release about Gov.
  Patakis approval of the proposed fare collection
  system
• How staff works website article on smart cards
• Cubic Transportation Systems
• NYC subway resources
• Motorola press releases on Berlin and Lanzhou
• Smart card evolution   Katherine M. Shelfer, J.
  Drew Procaccino
• Metro.Ru official web resource of Moscow Metro
• Chicago Transit Authority
• IDAT Consulting overview of magnetic stripe and
  smart card