The inspiration for writing about transit began when I made a point to notice this sign as I descended the stairs at the Tasker-Morris stop on the Broad Street Line last week: Exact fare only. The cashier has no change.
This is not a very friendly message. Since I have a monthly unlimited transpass, I can ignore that sign and keep moving. A few years ago, when I wasn't on the monthly plan, that sign used to anger me every day. Not only did this station require exact change, they did not have token machines either. Unless you're a seasoned rider, you would not know until you get to the cashier that the fare is $2. And if you had a $5 or a $20 bill, it didn't matter. $2 in bills or coins was all that would get you through that turnstile.
As I was pondering this frustration the other day, I realized (to SEPTA's credit) that in the years since I used to visit this stop regularly, they have gotten token machines! Yes, I have seen them many times, but it dawned on me that they did solve one part of the problem. Technically you don't need exact change anymore. If you have a $5 bill, you can put it in the machine and get a few tokens to be used for future trips.
But if you want to buy some tokens with all those quarters you've stashed for a rainy day, forget it! This machine does not accept coins.
Well SEPTA, you are trying.
I'm still holding out for NYC's MTA plan: MetroCards with declining balances that can be filled up at any station at any time, with cash or credit. Now that's convenient.
I find that the policy of "no change" is a systemic issue across the board at Septa. Although, in all fairness, they recently released their first fleet of Hybrid buses, a marginally improved website and remodeling several El ad Sub stops have made them much safer overall. But a better fare program would be a good move for everybody. Current passes use a magnetic strip, but I have never understood why, what purpose does it actually serve? Not to mention Tokens are dirty, and require more resources to produce and maintain. I wonder what all would be involved in upgrading to something like the MTA plan.
Posted by: Kara LaFleur | February 08, 2009 at 10:32 AM
as an ex-pat New Yorker, I have to agree that a MetroCard type system is great not only for daily commuters, but also for tourists.
NYC offers a $4 unlimited rides in 2-hour option for people who want to start in Times Square, then head downtown to the Village, and then on to Wall St (or whatever). The same system could easily be used to entice out-of-towners as a way to easily get from Independence Hall to City Hall to the Museums. And is friendlier than demanding exact change.
Yes, I'm sure it would be expensive to switch to MetroCard, but hopefully Septa will see that it would pay for itself over time.
And then we can talk about getting that subway line on Washington Ave. . .
Posted by: sawinkler | February 08, 2009 at 11:13 AM
This particular situation of Septa's has long angered me. The El stop that you go to may have [poorly thought-out] token machines, but many of them don't even have that. And then heaven forbid you should try using the regional rail like I would have to do out here. I tried purchasing a monthly pass, but the office was closed when I went by. Basically...nothing about Septa's system is convenient. I have long maintained that if they want to increase their ridership, then they need to actually make it slightly more convenient for passengers. At the moment, it seems as if they don't actually want people to ride.
Then...of course, don't get me started on the constant delays and other problems with the R7 line. Ugh. Anyways...I'd love to use it more, and probably would if it were half as convenient as the NJ PATH or NYC Subway.
Posted by: Leah | February 08, 2009 at 03:33 PM
SEPTA has one of the worst 'user interfaces' on the face of the planet. Talk about bureaucratic quicksand. How hard would it be for the turnstile people to give change? Seriously? This drives me absolutely crazy. When you can't give people change in a station with no token machine (nearly all of them outside of Center City), you've got something wrong.
And then let's talk about the Regional Rail ticket offices with their laughable open hours. I've often stopped by my train station two, three times in one day because they've been closed even DURING their posted office hours.
These are just some of the smallest things SEPTA could fix to vastly improve the experience and efficiency of public transit, but alas. I am not holding my breath.
Posted by: Mark Schoneveld | February 09, 2009 at 10:44 AM
http://www.flickr.com/photos/selepouchinest/3276972814/
the little plastic bags that the tokens come in when you buy them from a teller are just ridiculous. i'm so happy they put in machines at tasker-morris (finally!), and at least the tokens from machines don't come wrapped in plastic. it's like the septa employees complained about how gross the tokens are and they don't want to have to touch them.
Posted by: sara girlscantell | February 13, 2009 at 11:33 AM
I use this stop!
I'd love to see transpass & credit card sales in terminals or subway stations. Atlanta has 'em, and they're a much redder & anti-transit state. I'd like to guess the improved ridership, easy access, and smaller quantity of cash-handling will offset the card fees
Posted by: Steven | March 04, 2009 at 09:22 AM