September 26, 2008
SmarTrip Upgrades: Don't Hold Your Breath
The notion that we'd all like to do more with our SmarTrip cards isn't new - we've been calling for such improvements for quite some time. So, it was understandable that we were encouraged by reports released last winter which indicated SmarTrip cards would be able to be automatically reloaded like E-Z Passes by the end of 2008.
In hindsight, we probably should have been more pessimistic. The Post reported earlier this week that the office in charge of the upgrades to SmarTrip has wasted significant chunks of time and money over the past few years. Consequently, arrival dates for "customer-oriented improvements" previously scheduled to be in place by the end of this calendar year are being pushed back for two more years - including the oft-pined-for chance to have Metro and Metro-affiliated passes stored in plastic instead of paper.
A small consolation can be found in that you might not have to wait until 2010 to add funds to your SmarTrip card while picking up a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. Public affairs blogger Infosnack Headquarters peppered Metro with many a question regarding potential future SmarTrip upgrades. One confirmation? Passengers should be able reload SmarTrips at local Giant grocery stores, hopefully starting this fall.
Infosnack's report also notes that Metro is still working on its joint initiative with the DMV to insert SmarTrip RFID chips into driver's licenses in the District, which a majority of you said you were ready for back in November 2007. And if you're looking to get a keychain version of your SmarTrip card, you're still stuck doing it the old-fashioned way - Metro "didn't comment on whether users could modify SmarTrip cards by disassembling them and incorporating them into other objects like clothing."
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the article in the post today about the end of paper transfers and making smartrip more universal was pretty depressing too.
metro needs to bite the bullet and tell the people who aren't happy with the change to shut up. if the cards do cost too much for the poor, etc., then go out and buy one for everyone. period. the money saved long-term by eliminating fraud would far outweigh the initial cost of giving everyone $5 worth of plastic.
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Who cares about adding money to your smart card when buying a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. I want to buy a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread WITH my smart card!
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What I find annoying as a federal government employee is the fact that WMATA won't be giving out Metrocheks after December 2008. As a commuter that relies on the weekly pass, not only won't I be able to use said passes with a SmarTrip card, I won't be able to purchase passes with my SmarTrip card balance. De facto, I will be losing some of my benefits, which irks me.
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I worked more on WMATA concerning the modification of Smartrip cards into other forms like keychains and clothing, and the most I could get out of them was that if you were caught stealing fares you would be prosecuted.
From their perspective, I can see why they don't want to state one way or another whether modifying your Smartrip card is OK. If they say "it's ok", then they open themselves up for all sorts of craziness. If they say it's not ok, then that's like a challenge to all the "creative" people out there to try and get away with it.
WMATA told me that DC driver's licenses combined with Smartrip was up to the DC DMV. I've been calling the DMV for about three weeks to try to get an answer on this one, to no avail. According to the Examiner, that was a feature due in October 2008.
Cheers,
Infosnack Headquarters
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And if your smarttrip/license fails, you have to wait in line for a new license?
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I'd just modify it, and never put more $$ on the card than you're willing to lose. You'll never get an official go-ahead to hack. Just do it.