September 14, 2007
ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2007,
TRANSLINK® NOW AVAILABLE TO ALL GOLDEN GATE TRANSIT AND GOLDEN GATE FERRY CUSTOMERS
Beginning Monday, September 17, 2007, with TransLink® system performance now confirmed as fully reliable, the TransLink transit fare smart card will be made available to all Golden Gate Transit (GGT) and Golden Gate Ferry (GGF) customers as well as AC Transit customers. To date, more than 2,000 TransLink fare cards have been distributed to GGT and GGF customers. On the average weekday in August 2007, more than 4,000 bus and ferry rides were paid using TransLink. This compares to just 1,000 bus and ferry rides a day last December. As marketing outreach ramps up over the next few months, it is anticipated that TransLink will soon become the predominant method of fare payment by regular customers and will replace existing transbay discount transit ticket book programs.
TransLink Card
How It Works
TransLink is EASY! The handy, sleek TransLink smart card (about the size of a credit card) keeps the cash you would normally use to pay transit fares or buy ticket books on one smart card, eliminating the need for transit passes, ticket books and transfers. The TransLink card automatically deducts the correct fare, including the appropriate discount and transfers, for each transit trip. Click here for Frequently Asked Questions.
To Open and Maintain a TransLink Account
- For a limited time, GGT and GGF customers can get a free TransLink card (a $5 value) by taking an online survey. Free cards are available to the first 1,000 customers who complete the survey.
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Order a TransLink card online at www.translink.org, by phone (1-877-878-8883, or TDD/TTY 711 or 1-800-735-2929) or by mail from the TransLink Customer Service Center at PO Box 318, Concord, CA 94522-0318.
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An Autoload feature allows TransLink customers to add value to their cards automatically from a bank account or credit card. TransLink cards normally cost $5 but will be issued free of charge to customers who set up Autoload when requesting a card. TransLink also offers card replacement and balance restoration for customers who register their cards. Registration is free and can be completed easily online, over the phone or by mail.
- Customers can add electronic cash (e-cash) to their TransLink cards online at www.translink.org, by phone (1-877-878-8883, or TDD/TTY 711 or 1-800-735-2929) or at TransLink Ticket Office Terminals available at both the Larkspur and San Francisco Ferry Terminals ticket windows and the lobby window in the District Administrative Offices at 1011 Andersen Dr in San Rafael.
- Freestanding Add Value Machines are located outside where customers can add value (e-cash) to their TransLink cards 24 hours a day: Larkspur and San Francisco Ferry Terminals, Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza bus shelters, in San Rafael at the San Rafael Transit Center and the District Administrative Offices at 1011 Andersen Drive, and in the terminal lobby at the GGT bus terminal in Santa Rosa at Piner & Industrial.
- TransLink retail outlets are located throughout the Golden Gate service area. Retail outlets can sell cards and add value to a card. To run a simple search for outlets by zip code, visit www.translink.org/outlets.do.
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Card Reader |
"Tagging" a Card Reader |
Additional TransLink Specifics for GGT and GGF
All of the participating Bay Areas transit systems have unique operating characteristics that are captured in the TransLink program. The following are a few of the key TransLink highlights specific to GGT and GGF.
GGT and GGF Fares and TransLink: All GGT and GGF fare structures are incorporated into the TransLink system:
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TransLink cards are available for adults, seniors, youth (age 6 to 18) and persons with disabilities.
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The card has the appropriate discount encoded on it so TransLink automatically calculates the appropriate discounted fare for GGT and GGF users.
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Adults receive the same discounts they receive now by purchasing ticket books.
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Seniors, youth, and persons with disabilities using TransLink continue to receive a 50% discount off the adult cash fare.
Using TransLink on Golden Gate Ferry: TransLink card reader devices are installed at the Larkspur and San Francisco Ferry Terminal fare gates. GGF customers must “tag” (touch and hold) their TransLink card to the device upon entering. The appropriate ferry fare is then deducted from the TransLink card. GGF passengers on the Sausalito Ferry to San Francisco “tag” a card reader as they leave the ferry terminal in San Francisco.
Using TransLink on Golden Gate Transit: When customers board a GGT bus, they must “tag” (touch and hold) their card to the card reader located in the entrance area of the bus. At the completion of their trip, customers must again “tag” the TransLink device so the appropriate bus fare is deducted from their TransLink card. If a customer does not “tag off”, they may be assessed the highest discounted fare in the GGT bus system, which is currently $6.72.
Transfers between Golden Gate Transit and AC Transit: If a customer is transferring between GGT Routes 40 and 42 and AC Transit, the TransLink card automatically processes the transfer electronically and deducts the correct fare. The TransLink card keeps track of prior rides and automatically provides the correct transfer discount, where appropriate.
Transfers between Golden Gate Transit and Muni: Until Muni is “live” with TransLink® throughout its bus, light-rail and cable car systems, GGT riders transferring to Muni must continue to obtain a Fast Pass sticker, and GGF customers transferring to Muni must continue to obtain a transfer coupon as they currently do to transfer to these systems.
Card Balance and Adding Value to your Card
You can check your card balance by looking at the TransLink card reader display when tagging your card, by calling the TransLink Customer Service Center at 1-877-878-8883 (TTY/TDD 711 or 1-800-735-2929), or by visiting a self-serve Add Value Machine, a participating transit agency ticket office or a participating store displaying the TransLink logo. For locations, visit www.translink.org or call the Customer Service Center.
You can add value to your TransLink card at a transit agency’s ticket office or at an Add Value Machine (AVM). AVMs are located at the San Francisco Ferry Terminal, Larkspur Ferry Terminal, Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza bus stops, San Rafael Transit Center, GGT's San Rafael bus facility (1011 Andersen Dr) and GGT's Santa Rosa bus lot (Piner & Industrial). AVMs accept cash, debit and major credit cards (VISA, MasterCard and Discover).
Using an Add Value Machine
For complete information, including how TransLink works with employee transit benefit programs, how to report a lost, stolen or damaged card, and how transfers between bus and/or ferry and other transit agencies, refer to the Frequently Asked Questions.
Contact Information
TransLink Customer Service Center
1-877-878-8883 (TTY/TDD 711 or 1-800-735-2929)
Background
A survey of Bay Area voters showed that 76% of respondents ranked a universal transit fare card as their top requested transportation improvement. In response, MTC and Bay Area transit agencies are introducing TransLink, a smart card fare payment technology that allows public transit riders to use Bay Area public transit without worrying about the varying fare structures on different transit systems and without having to carry cash, ticket books or passes. Golden Gate Transit and Golden Gate Ferry, along with AC Transit and Dumbarton Express, are the first transit agencies to roll out the program!
