Many major metropolitan areas around the world are successfully using a universal fare card system that links all or most of their available transportation options. Currently, Washington DC; Chicago; Singapore; Hanau, Germany; and Hong Kong have already begun using this technology on their mass transit. Places where the technology is coming soon or in process of full implementation include San Francisco; Sydney; Australia; Lanzhou, China; Ann Arbor; Ventura County; and Puget Sound Area in Washington. The experience of three different regions with universal fare cards and the different features offered by each system is discussed below.

San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission  (MTC) is currently implementing a smart card system called TransLink that will eventually integrate all 26 transit agencies operating in the Bay Area. The testing phase was successfully completed in the beginning of 2003 where a representative sample of commuters used a single fare card for select trains, buses, and ferries of several different operators (i.e. BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Ferries, and MUNI). The response of transit riders who participated in the test of TransLink was overwhelmingly positive.

Washington DC Metropolitan Area. The Metrorail in Washington DC has been successfully using a universal fare card called SmarTrip Card. Commuters have a choice between traditional fare cards and passes as well as the SmarTrip Cards. Traditional transit tickets will most likely stay in circulation for the occasional transit rider who does not want to invest the extra $5 for a smart card. As the graphic below/to the left/to the right illustrates, adding value is as simple as purchasing the typical transit ticket or transfer. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is sponsoring a project to integrate the 17 transit systems in the Washington DC area to work with SmarTrip Card. This collaboration will be housed at a centralized SmarTrip Regional Customer Service Center and will allow residents from DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia to use the same card to pay for multiple systems. The expanded system will be using similar technology to that being used in San Francisco Bay Area with the TransLink program.
 

A commuter adding value to her SmarTrip card in Washington DC. (Source: WMATA SmarTrip).

 
The SmarTrip system is also leading the way with its integration of universal fare cards with employer commuter benefits through a program called SmartBenefits. Before SmartBenefits, employers gave out paper vouchers to employees claiming transportation fringe benefits. With the SmartBenefits program, employers can use the Internet to give employees access to their benefits. After registering their SmarTrip Card with their employer, employees can add the value of their commuter benefits to their card in the same way that they add cash value. (For more information on the SmartBenefits program, see the 'Dig a Little Deeper' section.)

Chicago Area. The Chicago Card from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is a bit different from Washington DC's SmarTrip Card and the San Francisco Bay Area's TransLink Card. It includes numerous transit agencies' bus and rail routes, but does not coordinate with employee commuter benefits like the SmarTrip card. Currently, CTA offers the ability to add value to cards at all rail stations and at selected stores and museums, but the limited number of vending machines and their heavy concentration only at train stations discouraged bus-only transit riders from purchasing a Chicago Card. Within the next year however, the Chicago Card plans to offer the ability to add value to its card by a direct link to user's credit or debit card, similar to the plans for the full deployment phase of the TransLink Card.