TransitChek News & Updates
July 2009
Volume 2 Issue 3
NJ TRANSIT has announced that it will continue its Quik-Tik, ticket-by-mail program in September 2009, with the addition of a $3.00 monthly processing fee for participation. TransitChek participants have a few options, which include:
- Increasing the benefit to cover the $3.00 fee
- Avoiding the $3.00 fee by purchasing your monthly pass from a NJ TRANSIT ticket vending machine or ticket office using an alternate TransitChek product.
To learn more about the change in the Quik-Tik program, visit www.njtransit.com.
Part of TransitCenter's ongoing mission is learning more about how you commute so that we may better tailor our programs to meet your needs. This month's one-question survey asks how you get to work every day - we'll report on the results in future issues. Click Here to take survey.
Transit operators across the nation are replacing ticket and pass systems with new smart card technology to make it easier for riders to use their services.
Smart card users add money to the card electronically at vending machines or over the internet. Cards are then used to “tap-and-go” to get on board buses and subways. Each card is embedded with a computer chip that processes payments when it comes into contact with smart card readers.
For commuters, Smart Cards mean an easier, more convenient commute -- no need to purchase tickets at ticket vending machines or at ticket booths.
Smart card technology is being tested and deployed in many markets. In New Jersey, commuters using PATH trains to commute between New Jersey and New York City use the SmartLink smart card. In New York City, MTA NYC transit successfully tested use of contactless debit/credit cards to "tap" into the Lexington Avenue subway line as a convenient new form of payment. In the Washington D.C. area, commuters use the SmarTrip smart card.
Most recently, MBTA has announced advancements regarding the Charlie Card. Commuters now have the option to pay for Charlie Cards online and register them in case they are lost or stolen, an added level of convenience over paper ticketing of the past.
"Commuter benefits and the ability to use tax-free dollars more conveniently will be part of this important change in the transit agency," says Larry Filler, President and CEO of TransitCenter. "In fact, we already have participants who are funding smart cards with the TransitChek QuickPay® Card, our Visa® branded prepaid debit card. As we move forward in this direction, our priorities will continue to be convenience for participants and meeting IRS compliance."
Source: www.smartcardalliance.org and www.apta.com.
The high gas prices in the last half of 2007 -- followed by the economy sliding into recession -- were enough to halt worsening traffic in the U.S., but only temporarily, say experts. When the economy rebounds, so will traffic.
According to the latest numbers released by the Texas Transportation Institute, travelers spent one hour less stuck in traffic and one gallon less of gasoline in 2007 than in 2006, representing a rare break in near constant growth in traffic over 25 years.
"This is a very small change," says Schrank. "No one should expect to be driving the speed limit on their way to work because of this." That's because the average traveler still needs 25 percent more time for those trips. Shrank, along with fellow researcher Tim Lomax, prepared this year's 2009 Urban Mobility Report.
Other highlights from the research illustrate the effects of the nation's continuing traffic problems:
- The overall cost based on wasted fuel and lost productivity reached $87.2 billion in 2007 - more than $750 for every U.S. traveler
- The total amount of wasted fuel topped 2.8 billion gallons - three weeks worth of gas for very traveler
- The amount of wasted time totaled 4.2 billion hours - nearly one full work week (or vacation week) for every traveler.
- Public transportation saved 646 million hours in travel and 398 million gallons of fuel
“The best solutions are going to be those in which actions by transportation agencies are complemented by businesses, manufacturers and commuters,” Lomax says. Both researchers agree that thought the problem has leveled off somewhat, this should not be mistaken for a trend. “The northeastern states and Texas in the mid-1980s and California in the 90s are three regions that give us an idea what to expect,” Lomax says. “In each of those cases, when the economy rebounded, so did the traffic problem."
Download a PDF of the 2009 Mobility Report.
At TransitCenter, our primary mission is to encourage the use of transit as a means to promote a cleaner environment and reduce traffic congestion. As we move forward into a world where more and more people embrace traffic everyday, TransitCenter is also concerned with the issue of sustainability and how it pertains to our society.
One increasingly important tool to create sustainable communities is the concept of Complete Streets.
Complete Streets are roadways designed and constructed in a way that allows safe and comfortable travel and use for all types of mobility: pedestrians, bicycles, individual cars, and transit vehicles such as buses, vans, and streetcars. Already, states like Oregon, Florida and South Carolina have adopted complete street policy mandates to improve livability and encourage municipalities to allow for safe transportation by people who don't use cars and motor vehicles.
Connecticut has recently adopted a Complete Streets law making it mandatory that the planning, design and construction of state highways accomodates all types of travelers.
For more information, visit the National Complete Streets Coalition at www.completestreets.org.
Train station photo by Richard Masoner. Complete Street photo by Jeff Moser. Traffic congestion photo courtesy of APTA.
The TransitChek Prepaid Visa® Card™ is issued by The Bancorp Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.The Bancorp Bank; Member FDIC.