Go-To card
The Go-To card is a contactless smart card meant to be used to pay fares for bus and light rail lines operated by Metro Transit and other transit agencies in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. It was originally meant to go into service in September 2003 and become the first such system in the United States, but technical difficulties have delayed introduction. Cubic Transportation Systems is working under a contract valued at $1616.4 million, but Metro Transit stopped payment at $9.4 million in May 2003 when it became apparent that the rollout would be behind schedule. As of April 2005, it is unknown when the payment system might be usable by the public, though Metro Transit is aiming for a mid-year rollout. When or if it becomes available, the system is expected to significantly speed up boardings on area buses while alleviating wear and tear on existing ticket machines and fare boxes. Cubic Transportation Systems initially promoted this system as the first contactless smart card installation in the country. Most other smart card systems require the card to be swiped through or inserted into a reader, while the Go-To card would just require a passenger to tap it against a reader. This reduces mechanical wear dramatically, and removes the need for readers to be hardened against the sometimes cold and wet climate of Minnesota. Ticket machines on Metro Transit's Hiawatha light rail line were designed with the Go-To card in mind, and have been breaking down more often than expected because of the higher-than-anticipated load. Some Metro Transit employees and selected area riders have been part of a test program in the latter half of 2004, using the cards as they go about their daily business. Cubic has said that the issues delaying introduction are software problems. Frequently, either the reader or the card does not properly detect when it has been used. About one thousand different devices are in place across the system. Blue football-shaped readers are already installed in the area's buses. The underlying technology is Philips' Mifare system, implementing the ISO 14443A standard.
ReferencesLaurie Blake (December 22, 2004). MTC's 'Go To' card runs into speed bumps. Minneapolis Star Tribune. Accessed December 29, 2004.Jack Sullivan (July 6, 2004). Smart cards need study. St. Paul Pioneer Press.Press release: Minneapolis / St. Paul becomes first U.S. transit authority to implement Philips' contactless smart card technology. Smart Card Alliance. Accessed December 29, 2004.
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