BART EZ Rider Program
34 Reviews for BART EZ Rider Program
I'm Lovin' It.
Look it's a bird, no it's a plane, no it's Sharon walking through the BART gates super fast. It takes me mere seconds to get through, see you suckers.
It use to take me forever to get a paper ticket because of the lines. Now all I need to do is flash out my card and BEEP I'm through. It is so easy. Plus I don't need to think about the money because it's automatically debited from my credit card.
Hooray for BART.
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LOVE IT.
You can sign up for it via online. Anytime your ticket drops below $10.00 BART will automatically recharge your card back to $48.00 (you pay $45.00) through your account.
No more waiting behind slow tourists that can't figure out how to put quaters into the hole
No more waiting in line for people to subtract $0.05. from their ticket, ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding.
All you do is swipe the card over the ciruclar detector (above where you would normally insert your ticket) and the gate opens.
---update---
two months later, card has not yet been demagnetized. ooooh yeah.
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I just signed up for BART's new and shiny EZ Rider program. MUCH better than having to buy paper ticket every couple weeks. And you get $48 worth of BART money for $45 normal money. However, the BART money in the EZ Rider card cannot be used to pay parking. Sucks, eh?
The sign up process is pretty painless and I got my shiny new card within a couple days, encased in a nice protective plastic holder.
I must say that BART is a little slow in employing this technology. I was in Hong Kong a few years ago and they've been using RFID technology for a while where you don't even need to swipe your card. It can be inside your wallet in your back pocket, and you just need to swipe your butt on the sensor. No need to take the card out. Kinda like FasTrack, but on a person.
But, hey, any improvement is better than no improvement at all.
One gripe I have is that sometimes the card will register, but the gate won't open. This happened to me twice in a row when trying to leave SSF station. I had to go to the station agent and have her check the card, and let me go through the emergency gate. The first time it happened, the agent was on break and I had to wait until she got back. Not cool. What if she had the runs? I'd be stuck there for a long time! And do you know how embarrassing it is to use the super-duper-new-and-shiny-superior-to-regular-pape r-tickets EZ Rider card and STILL hold up the exit line? :-\
Lastly, for people who said you need to "swipe" your EZ Rider card, actually you need to "tap" your card on the little circle, not swipe (the card itself needs to touch the sensor). See the cool little flash animation on BART's website. http://www.bart.gov/ne...
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Un-effing-believable!
So the contractually-obligated object of my lust and passion escorted me onto BART this past Sunday, the idea being that if I required a sleeper-hold during the Transbay Tube segment of the journey, he could generously provide services. I have no recollection of 'issues', so let's just say it was a pretty uneventful journey and leave it at that.
But here's the part I remember clearly: several peeps were using the new EZ Rider cards at the gates instead of those crummy paper tickets I seem to think I've lost the couple of times I've had occasion to use them. As an enthusiastic user of the Translink system on Golden Gate Transit buses and ferries, I had hoped I was going to see some indication that it was finally being used here as well--at least there had been plans for this option at some point. Obviously EZ Rider is not the same thing, but if BART has elected to use a different electronic service, I believe I now understand why...
When we returned home Sunday evening, I checked the BART site for EZ Rider card info and decided to sign up. On Monday, I received an email notification that a card was being issued and would be mailed soon. Tuesday the card was in our mailbox. I was able to go back onto the EZ Rider site and activate it--ready for use Wednesday! This was not my experience with Translink, where I had to request the card no less than 3 times before I finally got one, and the activation process took more time before it was ready to use. While I love the convenience of Translink, if my initial experience is any indication of the future of electronic transit payment methods in our area, Translink, among other electronic payment vendors, should pay attention to how well the EZ Rider program is moving along thus far.
Update: bonus points for causing me to hear Steppenwolf some mornings when I tap my EZ Rider card on the gate ('cause it's true--I AM 'Born to Be Wild')...
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If you're still using paper BART tickets, you must get on board the EZ Rider bandwagon. I swear it has changed my life! Makes riding BART a much less excruciating experience, eliminating many of the negatives such as standing in line at ticket machines, being panhandled at ticket machines, and my personal ongoing dilemma - having the stupid paper ticket get anywhere near my cell phone and then encountering the dreaded "See Agent" message at the fare gate, then standing in line at customer service to turn in all those de-activated and "tiny" tickets. Those cringe-inducing annoyances are becoming faded memories now that I've had EZ Rider for a few months now. I use my credit card statement to apply for pre-tax transit reimbursement from my employer, too. Don't forget the $48 ticket replenishment for a $45 charge. So many benefits, and thus far no drawbacks as far as I'm concerned!
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I used to get 48-dollar bart passes through my pretax commuter program and it was such a pain when one would get bent, wet, demagnetized or even worse, lost, and I would also end up with a million 50-cent bart passes. Now I use the ez rider pass and it works with my Wageworks debit card so I get both the high value ticket discount and the pre-tax benefit, which is awesome, and the pass is also pretty sturdy. I'm especially happy to have it on rainy days because I don't have to worry about it getting wet. I don't even have to get it out of its plastic case to use it. I love it.
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I love love love this program. Pilot my ass. The only way they'll take this boy's EZ Rider card is to pry it from my cold, rigor-mortised fingers.
The only bad thing about this card is that I'm so used to striding through the gate without stopping (you can do it if you time the card swipe right), that when the card needs to reload, I ram my legs into the orange gate things.
EZ Rider uber alles!
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I'll fall for just about any scheme that will convince me I am cooler than other people.
Tell me it might save me a few bucks and make my commute to work a little easier and I'll fall even harder.
Give me a little card that identifies me as technologically-advanced enough to have my commute money taken DIRECTLY from my bank account when I get below a certain amount and I'll fall so hard I'll scrape my knees.
I no longer have to worry about wrinkled, torn, destroyed, demagnitized, low value, useless BART cards... which, for someone like me, who jams everything she could possibly need into her wallet and back jean pocket, means just about everything.
So I can text, chew gum, walk through the BART station, and cradle my EZ Rider card against my iPod without EVER having to worry about wasting $20 on a ticket that lost its magnetic wonder before I was even able to spend the first $2.40 to get into the city in the morning.
Ahhhh... it's beautiful.
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Hooray I don't have to wait in that long ass line to buy BART High Value Tickets anymore! And I look so cool flying through the fare gates instead of waiting for my ticket like the common folk! (I feel you Adrienne G.)
But seriously, this has been really helpful to me because I go through one of those $64 tickets in about 6.5 days ($9.90 roundtrips add up FAST.) I am eagerly awaiting the ability to add my commuter checks. But hey, it's a Pilot Program, so I'm not expecting perfection.
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I give many kudos to this program, akin to FasTrak, for a number of reasons. There's the ease with which I can BART anywhere and not have to worry about buying a ticket or ending up with one of those damned tiny tickets that clutter up my purse, house and wallet. Regular tickets, incidentally, are not recyclable and end up getting tossed in the landfills at a collective 600 pounds per day systemwide.
The EZ card is credit-card-style plastic and comes in its own hard plastic protective shield, which you can connect to a lanyard or just have in your bag. It automatically charges your credit card $45 (for $48 worth of fare), each time your balance dips below $10. The bad news is that while the information packet you receive states the card cannot be demagnetized via iPod, cell phone, looking at it wrong, etc., such items can make the card act a bit wonky. Twice yesterday I got that angry beep and "SEE AGENT" light at the turnstile. The agents both times didn't know what was wrong with it, using some kind of fancy reader machine to do who knows what. They advised me to just keep it away from cell phones and iPods anyway. Magnets are the bane of my existence.
No more waiting in line to buy a new ticket or worrying if you have cash on hand to do so.
I think it's a valuable improvement and yet another reason to take public transit. Just like FasTrak, BART's EZ Rider Program makes transit one step closer to idiot-proof (for me at least!).
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I'm docking a couple of stars because:
1) I can't use Commuter Check to buy my EZ Rider card;
2) It's a separate program from the dead-logical, where-has-it-been-all-this-time TransLink.
Dear BART:
Implement fixes to points #1 and 2, and I will give you two more stars!
Love,
M.
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Definitely about time for something like this. I love not having to buy tickets and I love the fast time through the gate (works great as long as you slap the card down instead of swiping it).
The whole stalker aspect is a little creepy, but if I'm going to be stalked by the man it might as well be the mass transit man. Amen.
Oh, and BART people:
PLEASE add the ability to use commuter checks to recharge the card.
Please?
**EDIT:**
OK, I know I only wrote the original review yesterday but I was just reminded of how much this is *not* a 21st century system and I'm actually going to dock 2 stars as a result.
Lesson of the day: Make sure your credit card details are up to date at all times.
If you say, move, and change your credit card address with the bank, the transaction will fail. You'll get an email telling you this. All is well so far. Except that you'd think that after you updated the address on the website and received a phone call telling you they noticed that and would retry that the card would work next time you went through. Nope. They only process charges overnight. None of this new-fangled instant credit card processing for BART (never mind that BART ticket machines do it all the time!). Oh, and because I had enough credit left on the card to go on medium trips but not my commute, it lets me into the station every time I try it only to not let me out at the other end. With no way to recharge.
This is so close to being a great system, but they need to hurry up and automate a lot more of it.
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As I've seen many people who have the "de-magnitization" problem, this card solves the biggest BART ticket obstacle. It doesn't get screwed up if you have near your cell phone and credit cards! I love it!
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i've had the ez rider for a few months now and i've had no problems with it so far... so convenient not to have to re-load bart tickets every week...
i do wish it could be used for all bay area public transit... there needs to be a universal system so it's more convenient for people who take multiple bay area transit systems on a regular basis...
also the discount should be more than 6%...
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This is incredibly cool because I don't have to worry about buying tickets anymore. My days of whining about not having a permanent ticket are over! Unlike a regular ticket...if you lose it, you can cancel it immediately and you will be able to hold on to your money (minus the $5 card replacement fee).
One problem is that you have to time it just right or the gate will beep and not open and you'll piss off the person behind you. If you don't wait a second for the gate to close before using your EZ rider card, it won't work. Other than that, I haven't had a single problem with it.
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Please please let me use my commuter check. Otherwise, such a great alternative to high-value tickets it's amazing. And I really love the looks I get when the gates seem to just open for me at a nod.
If you need to change credit cards or update any of that kind of information it takes overnight. And you have to call and tell them to do it. Ridiculous.
Okay, read the BART website and other reviews for the description! I'm just here to sing my praise... Something that finally makes BART suck less!
Fastrak for BART riders - huzzah! While it takes about the same time for me to get through the gates since I've got those speedy ticket-inserting fingers, it still looks pretty awesome. Everyone's got those flimsy tickets, and I've got my EZ Rider in its special plastic case.
I admit that it is a little tough to see the balance because it flashes by so quickly. But you'll know when you run out because they refill when you hit a certain $ amount anyway - $10 or so?
Extra stars for the fact that you get $48 of rides for $45 - EVERY time. If you sign up early, the card itself is free also. Otherwise, you'll be charged a fee of $5. This is awesome since I hardly ever have enough cash on me, and I don't have to worry about getting a new card when I run out!
I still have no clue why not that many people use this.
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I was a little apprehensive about giving BART access to my ATM / Check Card, but I figure, I do the same thing at the ticket machine at least once a week for another $20. Now, I just swipe my plastic encased card, and I'm done. Plus they charge me $45 for $48 worth of rides. For me, that is an extra ride, since my fare from Glen Park to San Bruno is $3.05.
I think there are a few kinks to work out, like being able to use your Commuter Check, pay online, etc, but this is just a pilot program, and I am sure things will change to make it even more convenient.
You must have seen those plastic discs on the fare gates ... that is where you swipe your card. It will not get jammed, folded, etc. And it looks cooler to swipe than to use the paper cards.
The pilot program is over, but when it goes to Phase 2, regulars should think about it.
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Since it's roll-out, I have been a pilot program member and love it. I have never encountered a problem with using my card at all. What a great idea, do away with the paper tickets and use a Smart Card. You don't have to carry any cash and if you loose the card, cancel it, and the overnight you a new one. I can't wait until BART EZ Rider merges with TransLink next year. Then you will be able to use one card for all systems.
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Love it.
Before this program came, I used to put a twenty dollar bill into the BART ticket machine every day, it seemed. Or I would have to save my quarters and NOT put them into our vacation fund/bowl. Now it seems like I ride for free since the money is taken out of my account without me having to do anything, like have cash on me.
Note: I had one card die (I kept it in my back pocket next to the magnetic fob that lets me into my office). The extremely fast and able EZ Rider lady said that I should always keep my card in the plastic container it came in. That makes sense, looking back on it. But at the time I received it, I thought the little plastic container was a tiny, silly pseudo briefcase to protect it during mailing.
___________________________________
Update: Now with a new website so you can stalk yourself!!
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The best thing to happen to BART since the extended service to Millbrae.
Amen.
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Your probably wondering what on earth BART EZ Rider Program is! Quite simply, it is Fastrak for people who ride BART. No, they don't strap a transponder to your forehead, they give you a card that is the size of a credit card, embedded with some kind of smartcard/microchip thingy. On every entry gate, there is a little round pad , that you swipe the card over when you walk through.
When you sign up for the program (currently a pilot program) you give them your credit card number, and they preload $48. Every time you make a trip, it deducts the fare from your balance. Once your balance falls below $10, they automatically top off your card.
I've been using this for a week now with great success. People must think I'm crazy, magically swiping my hand over the gate and it opens.... maybe I should start shouting "Open, Sesame" as I walk through and really freak people out!
If you use BART everyday, then I recommend signing up. Its a no hassle way to travel. No more lining up to get a new ticket, or having to beg for change to use the Add Fare machine.
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How cool is this?! It's about time that BART joins the ranks of other regional transit systems in the country!!! It's a convienient little card that employs smart chip technology to store your balance and keep track of your entries and exits. Did I mention it's also re-loadable too automatically, just give your credit card number when applying. Not sure if they are taking new members for the pilot program but if they are I would jump on this if I were you!!
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After waiting on a mailing list for several months I finally got an e-mail from BART letting me know that they had opened their EZ Rider program to new users and I signed up immediately.
The card verification process is a little annoying, and for the life of me I can't figure out why the paperwork with the card tells you to call a number and then just rattle off a website address for you to go to. Why not just tell you to go directly to the website? Further annoyance was caused by the fact that the voice sounds like it's saying "EASYrider.bart.gov"; but the URL is actually "EZrider.bart.gov";
I tried my card out for the first time on my way to work today and it worked like a dream. Just as fast as a paper card and much easier. I've heard a lot of complaints about the card not always working, but a lot of those seem to be a result of an improper use of the card with the gate.
The most important thing to remember is that you don't SWIPE the card across the disk, you SLAP the card on the top of the disk. Remember, SLAP, don't SWIPE.
TWO complaints keep this from getting 5 stars:
1) EZ Rider needs to take Commuter Checks. Until they do I'm going to keep using paper tickets most of the time.
2) I'm not a big fan of the goofy plastic case the card comes in. Why can't I put it in my wallet with my credit cards?
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$48 in credit for $45 is great. So is not having to stop to buy tickets.
It will be totally perfect when online balance checks are initiated and also when all the transit systems in the area join in (Translink).
Makes going in and out of BART more than a pleasure, almost a joy. No more fumbling for exact change, no more "tiny tickets." And hey, you feel so posh waving the thing over the faregate and having it open. It's like you're using the Force or something.
Now if they could only get every transit agency on something like this. Trankslink, you listening?
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I just love this program! No more having to go to Safeway or wherevers to buy my BART tickets..this program automatically reloads your card when it hits $10 buck-a-roos! Well Im sure you can read all about it from the other reviews...but if you don't have it yet...GET ON IT ALREADY!!!!
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what a brilliant idea. a little late, but still.
i come from DC, and we've had the plastic metro card in place for a long, long time. i have to say, though, that this one might be a little better since its linked to your credit card and you dont have to refill the sucker when you run out.
secretly i've only taken BART once so far (and hated it), but i plan on moving to an area with BART this summer and needed to get started with any conveniences that i could. no more standing in long caltrain lines at the beginning of each month, and no more standing at the ticket machines.
and it surprises me to hear that the reviewer below has signed up for the card and was never e-mailed. i signed up a couple of weeks ago to get on the waitlist, and they e-mailed me last week to register for the card. so far, im happy with the quick and easy registration process. i'll update again once i actually start riding BART. from what i last experienced, i wanted to open the doors and throw myself on the tracks mid-ride.
maybe this card will make all the difference.
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the only thing i don't like about san francisco is that there is street sweeping every other freaking day. you have got to be kidding me! anyhow, it was just easier to park our car and leave it downtown and take the bart to wherever we needed to go.
it was very convenient. the one star off for the ease of the use of the ticket purchace system. or maybe i'm just a dumbass... yeah that's probably it!
It's great -- get one if you can. No more pile of 35 cent "tiny tickets" that are useless even as fodder for the BART ticket vending machines.
But EZ-Rider is far from perfect. BART's fulfillment procedures are totally pre-internet -- involving phone calls, postal mail and faxes. And if you pay for transit with Commuter Check or other employer programs, you're out of luck.
If you're holding a Translink, PayPass, Zipcar Zipcard, Flexcar Flexcard, MasterCard Paypass or any of a variety of other ISO 14443 type cards in your wallet, EZ-Rider must be separated in order to work. A City CarShare fob however, presents no problems.
While this is one more example of Bay Area transit not integrating systems (why can't it all be one card?), at least it works. Fast, easy, and about time.
me gusta.
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No complaints about the pass it's a moment of zen during your daily commute. It's the fare gates that still suck.
Try reading your card balance on a screen the doesn't face you and in 8 pt font size -not helpful. If you have a EZ Rider pass and a Translink card or say a Zipcar Membership Card in your wallet too, then you will have to take the EZ rider pass out and swipe it by itself. Otherwise you get the BART Fare Gate Banshees' attention and you have to physically back out of the gate and re-swipe.
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