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TriMet’s New Electronic Fare System Doesn’t Serve Riders TriMet Wants Bus Riders Need A low-income fare to make this new system accessible. A multimillion-dollar e-fare system that effectively excludes low-income riders. A $3 fee for the card that each rider needs to use the e-fare system. A $5 minimum e-fare purchase, per card. $3 per card, per person $5 minimum purchase A free card for e-fare users during an initial rollout period, which multiple riders can share. A single 2.5-hour Adult fare (or cost equivalent) minimum purchase. E-fare purchases only online with a bank account or at a limited network of private businesses. Expanded e-fare payment options within ¼ mile of transit stops and at public facilities. E-fare cards that cannot go negative. Riders who lose track of their e-fare balance may be left stranded. E-fare cards that may temporarily go negative up to the price of a single Adult fare. Registration of e-fare cards that includes personal information and tracks travel behavior. Clear limits on the collection and use of personal information. Enforcement and security policies that lack fairness, transparency, and accountability. An end to profiling in enforcement and a meaningful public process to establish new procedures. A Changes are Coming to TriMet’s Fare System in 2017 TriMet is about to roll out an electronic fare-collection system e-fare for short , giving transit riders the option of using a prepaid fare card instead of a paper ticket. Instead of showing the bus driver a pass or getting a ticket, riders will tap a plastic card against a reader and have the fare deducted automatically. Smartphone users will be able to continue using TriMet’s mobile ticketing app. Elimination of Passes: Because of BRU’s advocacy, cash will still temporarily be accepted on transit for day passes and 2.5 hour transfers. Paper monthly passes will be replaced with spending caps on your e-fare card. Once you’ve spent the equivalent of a day pass ($5) or monthly pass ($100), your card will stop charging you when you tap it for the rest of the day/month. Riders who cannot use e-fare will not receive this important benefit. Card Cost and Access: Each e-fare card will cost $3, and each rider will need their own card. In addition, you must purchase at least $5 worth of e-fare at a time for each card. If the balance on your card is too low to pay your fare, and you don’t have $5 or access to a retail outlet, you must pay cash for a single fare. This cash purchase will not count towards daily or monthly fare caps. If a family of five is traveling together, they need to pay $15 for e-fare cards (5 x $3), plus a minimum e-fare purchase of $25 (5 x $5), and must keep track of the balance on each card. This is a hardship for low-income families, especially with young children. A free card for e-fare users during the initial rollout period and the ability to pay for multiple riders with a single card will help avoid or mitigate these hardships. Retail Locations: TriMet has contracted with a limited number of private retail outlets like Fred Meyer and Safeway to provide e-fare services. However, many common retail stores— like Plaid Pantry—are not included. This network is confusing and poorly distributed. People will have to know which retail locations offer e-fare services, and will often have to walk a mile or more to load their card and get back to their bus stop. The current network also includes payday loan service centers, which have a predatory business model that exploit people with limited income. The network would serve riders more adequately if retail outlets were within 1/4 mile of all transit stops, and if the network included public facilities such as schools, libraries, post offices, and social service agencies. Negative Balance: TriMet currently refuses to allow us a negative balance on our cards. Riders with limited disposable income or those who live in areas without easy access to retail outlets are more likely to miss critical connections due to insufficient fare. Allowing riders to go negative by the cost of a single adult fare would avoid or mitigate this concern. Rider Privacy and Enforcement: If a card is registered to one person, the information could be used to track when and where they are traveling. This could give law, immigration or private enforcement officers invasive, unjustified information as to the whereabouts of riders. In a fare enforcement situation, immigration status and any unrelated criminal records could be accessible. Low-income Fare: Riders also need a single reduced fare for honored citizens, youth, and low-income riders. The transition to e-fare provides a unique opportunity to do this.