Port Authority survey: Improving the fare system (Lancaster, York: 2015, rent)

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by tclifton

I took the survey and answered that I would no longer ride if I did not have a cash option.

What's you're alternative???? ... And its not that you don't have a Cash option, its that you would be charged more than people willing to adapt. Just like the E-Z Pass system.

Originally Posted by SammyKhalifa

What? I don't understand this whole fight.

The Toll Roads in this state already have an incentive to use their EZ-PASS and from I can tell isn't driving people away. You just get money off if you use their device, which makes all the sense in the world. I don't understand why it should be any different in this case or why people are getting into arguments over it.

People hate change, they hate to Adapt to new ways of doing things .... It probably was the same thing with the E-Z Pass when it was first released, but once the PennDot started Charging Cash payers more / offering discounts to the adopters people quickly conformed to the E-Z Pass system, now they can't live with out it... PAT needs to take the same approach. Yinzers will kick and scream about it, but they will soon conform to the status quo, as the alternatives are no longer cost effective.

[tclifton]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

What's you're alternative ... And its not that you don't have a Cash option, its that you would be charged more than people willing to adapt. Just like the E-Z Pass system.

Alternative is to continue to have both. I'm ok with being charged more, but it does make it less likely that I use it. I do use EZ Pass for what it's worth.

[wpipkins2]

[quote=theta_sigma;39963110]People on the bus aren't in a hurry? What is this nonsense? I'm perpetually in a hurry (having to get a toddler out of the house means that we are never, ever on time--it's always something) and I think you'll find that during rush hour the majority of people on the inbound downtown and Oakland buses are indeed in a hurry to get where they are going. People who hold up the bus get glares and eye rolls on the regular.quote]


I just had a flash back. Not to long ago I had to get a newborn and a 2 year old ready every morning. By the time the newborn was ready with the diaper bag packed my 2 year old would either spill something or need changed. After all that I had to deal with the car seat and double stroller.

My daughter is now 15 years old and is scared of the bus. She attends a city school and must use PAT do to after school activites. She leaves school at the height of rush hour and says everyone stares at her because she takes to long feeding the machine. She refused to take the bus until we purchased a connect card for her. We recieved a letter from Pittsburgh Public Schools las week. PPS will issue connect cards to PPS students in the fall.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by wpipkins2

My daughter is now 15 years old and is scared of the bus. She attends a city school and must use PAT do to after school activites. She leaves school at the height of rush hour and says everyone stares at her because she takes to long feeding the machine. She refused to take the bus until we purchased a connect card for her. We recieved a letter from Pittsburgh Public Schools las week. PPS will issue connect cards to PPS students in the fall.

I wonder what was taking programs like PPS, Job Perks, Transit Chek, Wageworks to get people onto ConnectCards. These are the only recipients still using Paper Passes/Tickets.

Another bonus is PAT will be doing away with Paper Transfers soon, so you will no longer be able to get a Transfer paying Cash, all Transfers will be electronic. Paper Transfers are revenue loss leaders, as drivers no longer validate them, people use expired transfers, or even sheets of paper and just toss them into the bag without the driver even batting an eye.

[SammyKhalifa]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

People hate change, they hate to Adapt to new ways of doing things .... It probably was the same thing with the E-Z Pass when it was first released, but once the PennDot started Charging Cash payers more / offering discounts to the adopters people quickly conformed to the E-Z Pass system, now they can't live with out it... PAT needs to take the same approach. Yinzers will kick and scream about it, but they will soon conform to the status quo, as the alternatives are no longer cost effective.

I use the turnpike system for 75 cents about once every six weeks. It's nothing to do with "resisting change" or being a Yinze--it's just good common sense that I won't want to have my money locked into something I don't use that often.

For someone that rails against those who are closeminded, I'd think that you'd be more open to the idea that different people might have different needs.

[Moby Hick]

Where can you ride the turnpike for a .75 toll anymore? I thought they were all over a dollar.

[SammyKhalifa]

The much-maligned "Southern Beltway" between I-79 and US22 out by the airport.

It's a good road for me to take going Westward. Of course, if I had to purchase an EZ pass to use it I would probably just not bother and go a different way.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by SammyKhalifa

The much-maligned "Southern Beltway" between I-79 and US22 out by the airport.

Got ya. I was thinking of the Turnpike proper, not any toll road.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by SammyKhalifa

I use the turnpike system for 75 cents about once every six weeks. It's nothing to do with "resisting change" or being a Yinze--it's just good common sense that I won't want to have my money locked into something I don't use that often.

For someone that rails against those who are closeminded, I'd think that you'd be more open to the idea that different people might have different needs.

You money doesn't expire on a ConnectCard ... Doesn't matter if you only use EZ PASS or a Connect Card once a year, you're only charged when you use it. It's about being more efficient and NOT slowing down the system. Even if you chose to only load 5$ at a time on a Connect Card because you use Public Transit that little. You don't lose anything that 5$ it will always be there until you use it, but you help keep the system on time for others that do use it regularly and depend on it for getting to places like Work and School.

Wouldn't it be nice not to have to look for exact change when you NEED to ride the bus, just knowing "Hey I have 5$ I put on this Card last year, I can just tap and go" Don't need to hit the Bank ATM, then worry about getting change for a 20$ just to get a 2.50 ride. Then guess what you're paying exact fare, do you know how many people just feed the farebox 3$ because they don't have change, or even a whole 5$ if they need a transfer 3.50$... I find it asinine to Pay more when you don't need to, just because your refusal of adaption.

I see no downside to Electronic Fare Payment over cash. Especially now that you can load Online. I don't like the waiting 72hrs for your fare to be loaded on to your card using this method, that PAT needs to fix if getting people to refill Online is to be successful.

Seem to me your only thinking of how little YOU use public transit, not what it means to the region as a whole and those that are regular riders of the system, that's a pretty closed minded thought process right there.

[doo dah]

I wonder how parents are supposed to pay for their children, if the parents can't use their own ConnectCard and reduced fare cards are not available for children(children 6-11 pay half-fare).