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Old 08-12-2014, 11:16 AM
 
Location: southwestern PA
22,591 posts, read 47,660,494 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gortonator View Post
Many touristy cities in the world are cash free on public transport. It can be easily done. Dispensing machines, sale at shops, buy online. A small fraction inconvenienced for the greater good ...

Even better is Pittsburgh's downtown being totally free. Great for out-of-towners!

 
Old 08-12-2014, 11:16 AM
 
4,177 posts, read 2,957,958 times
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I only abide by the ladies first rule.
 
Old 08-12-2014, 11:18 AM
 
1,947 posts, read 2,243,623 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pitt Chick View Post
Even better is Pittsburgh's downtown being totally free. Great for out-of-towners!
yep - and free zones are not uncommon in other cities. Used to have one in Portland but got rid of their free zone recently. Backwards place that is!!!!
 
Old 08-12-2014, 11:19 AM
 
5,802 posts, read 9,894,970 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pitt Chick View Post
Even better is Pittsburgh's downtown being totally free. Great for out-of-towners!
I agree with this, they need to extend it to Station Square on the "T" but that's for another thread.
 
Old 08-12-2014, 11:20 AM
 
Location: Awkward Manor
2,576 posts, read 3,093,139 times
Reputation: 1684
Quote:
Originally Posted by gortonator View Post
Many touristy cities in the world are cash free on public transport. It can be easily done. Dispensing machines, sale at shops, buy online. A small fraction inconvenienced for the greater good ...
There are not enough places to buy them, though. Say you are at a hotel, the Wyndham on Lytton Avenue perhaps, in Oakland (museums, universities) and you want to catch a Pirates game. The only place to get a Connect Card is "United Check Cashing" on Forbes Ave. Oh look, they are closed Sundays. Too bad, potential bus riders!

Guess they will have to call a cab oh wait.
 
Old 08-12-2014, 11:22 AM
 
5,802 posts, read 9,894,970 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doo dah View Post
There are not enough places to buy them, though. Say you are at a hotel, the Wyndham on Lytton Avenue perhaps, in Oakland (museums, universities) and you want to catch a Pirates game. The only place to get a Connect Card is "United Check Cashing" on Forbes Ave. Oh look, they are closed Sundays. Too bad, potential bus riders!

Guess they will have to call a cab oh wait.
Then maybe PAT ought to have Weekend hours, that would be Great, not only for tourist, but for anyone having problems and needs their CC swapt out. I also hate how GE can't swap out malfunctioning cards, you must go all the way into town to PAT.
 
Old 08-12-2014, 11:31 AM
 
1,146 posts, read 1,413,499 times
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I have to agree with Blackbeauty here. Things change and eventually PAT will join the rest of the world and be cash free. Somehow PAT has to ween people off using cash similar to what the PA Turnpike (and others) have done with EZ Pass and with the parking meters Downtown. Your cash will still be accepted at Giant Eagle and vending machines. If you are an infrequent rider, I personally don't see the problem loading like $10 onto a ConnectCard and use it when you want. The CC is free. Yeah, you have to carry another card around but you probably said the same thing about carrying around a debit card, credit card, or Advantage card. What would be really cool is PAT using iBeacons or something similar that could talk to your wearable smart watch and identifies your CC account and deducts from there. Maybe in the year 2054?

With the paper passes, you could just skip past the cash rider but not now. Plus you stand there and wait like an idiot for 10 seconds until you can tap your CC. I have been behind someone paying with a mix of dimes and worn out dollar bills and had to wait because a CC. We must have been there for three minutes. The driver looked ticked, I was ticked, and I'm sure someone at a later stop was ticked that now the bus was three minutes late and counting. Just think if someone else was paying the same way and now the bus was six minutes late and would be late for the rest of trip plus some.

The ultimate answer would be to use payment stations and turnstiles and no one using cash but I'm not sure that will happen. Sure there will probably be paystations and turnstiles at Negley Station but nothing at 2nd and Grant in Duquesne.
 
Old 08-12-2014, 11:34 AM
 
Location: somewhere near Pittsburgh, PA
1,437 posts, read 3,775,944 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212 View Post
I also hate how GE can't swap out malfunctioning cards, you must go all the way into town to PAT.
General Electric makes these cards?




 
Old 08-12-2014, 11:35 AM
 
5,802 posts, read 9,894,970 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mugatu View Post
General Electric makes these cards?




Yep they do!
 
Old 08-12-2014, 11:35 AM
 
1,947 posts, read 2,243,623 times
Reputation: 1292
Quote:
Originally Posted by doo dah View Post
There are not enough places to buy them, though. Say you are at a hotel, the Wyndham on Lytton Avenue perhaps, in Oakland (museums, universities) and you want to catch a Pirates game. The only place to get a Connect Card is "United Check Cashing" on Forbes Ave. Oh look, they are closed Sundays. Too bad, potential bus riders!

Guess they will have to call a cab oh wait.
You know. Things .... can ..... change .....

Outlets could become more prevalent. A staged cut over to cards only could be introduced and information campaigns telling people where to buy them. These things are possible ...
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