Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Proof of Payment Around the Country

Does anyone know of a light rail system that is not in a subway tunnel that doesn't use proof of payment? I can't seem to think of any.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Green Line of the T in Boston. The trains run above ground for much of their routes, and users pay at the fareboxes where the drivers sit at the front of each of the two cars.

www.mbta.com

Anonymous said...

Pittsburgh, PA is similar to the green line. Major stations are entrance-controlled and a fare collector is there during peak hours; during non-peak hours or at smaller stops you pay at the farebox in the front.

crzwdjk said...

Boston's line does run in a tunnel, and so does Pittsburgh's, but in Pittsburgh, the tunnel is entirely in the downtown free-fare zone, so there is no fare control in the tunnel stations. There is, however, classical music.

Justin said...

Toronto's System is pay as you enter, expect on the 501 Queen, where it is both POP, and Pay as you enter.
Cleveland's Light Rail system is also Pay as you enter, except at Tower City, where it is Entrance Controlled.

Anonymous said...

Red line in Cleveland. Whether or not it's light rail is debatable but the line has an infuriating system of collecting fares in a bus-style fare box as you enter the train.

Worse yet they seem to use different fare collection methods at different stations which makes it mighty confusing if you're not a regular.

It could be a good small rail system but fare collection is from the dark ages.

Justin said...

The fare collection system in Cleveland IS confusing. I do remember that. However, the drivers seemed to be helpful.

Anonymous said...

Red line in Houston is the honor system and is completely above ground (at ground level)

crzwdjk said...

Another example of a soon to be partly non-POP system is Portland, where they are planning to install some kind of fare control at two stations. And I forgot to mention New Orleans, which uses regular fareboxes as I understand it, and Tacoma, where there is no fare at all. Portland and Seattle's streetcars are also unlike typical light rail in that the ticket machines are on the train rather than in the stations.
And another instance of odd fare collection is the Chinatown station on the Broad-Ridge line in Philadelphia, where at night, the station agent's booth is closed, and the driver of the subway train collects fares and issues transfers, something one can find on subway-surface lines, but is very unusual for a heavy rail operation.

Cap'n Transit said...

The #15 Girard line in Philadelphia?

Pantograph Trolleypole said...

I think the Red Line in Cleveland is classified as Heavy Rail Subway.

Anonymous said...

The above ground section of the light rail system in Buffalo is free, once you enter the subway it is proof of payment

Anonymous said...

Virtually every streetcar I rode in Europe is on an honor system. In fact most of the Subways there are too.

I did see a curious thing in Amsterdam, with ticket booths inside the streetcar itself...