TriMet set to finalize rules for electronic fare system

hop fastpass trimet efare

A Hop Fastpass validator at the Morrison/SW 3rd Avenue MAX station in downtown Portland.

(Elliot Njus/Staff)

TriMet is still a year away from implementing its new electronic fare system, but the agency is already preparing to finalize rules for the program.

Managers will bring the regulations for the $34 million plan to the agency's board of directors on Wednesday, where they'll also hear public testimony. The board could vote as soon as February.

The agency is already preparing for to launch the system, called Hop Fastpass, which will be used on the Portland Streetcar and Clark County's C-Tran as well as on TriMet buses, MAX and WES commuter rail. Crews have installed infrastructures for card scanners at most MAX light-rail platforms. The German technology company Innovations in Transportation Inc. and the Portland start-up GlobeSherpa -- which sold last year to a Texas company called RideScout -- has been developing software for the system.

The public hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave. in Portland. It will also stream online.

Here's a primer on the proposed e-fare rules. Add your questions in the comments.

How does it work?

To board a bus, e-fare users will tap their card against a fare validator. It will flash a green light and a "Welcome aboard" message and deduct the fare from the pre-loaded balance. Validators for MAX will work the same way, but they'll be located on the platform. Streetcar validators will be on board.

Invalid cards, or those with a low balance, will flash a red light.

Riders can also tap their smartphones to use payment systems Apple Pay or Android Pay, or they can use bank cards outfitted with radio-frequency identification chips.

Where do I get a card, and how much will it cost?

The cards will be sold at more than 500 retail outlets, including convenience and grocery stores, as well as the TriMet ticket office at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Cards will cost $3, with a minimum initial deposit of $5. That means a total up-front cost of at least $8.

TriMet plans to give away around 200,000 cards when the program launches. The agency says that's enough to cover its most frequent riders, plus low-income riders who ride at least once a month.

How do I load money onto my card?

You can load Hop cards at the retail establishments where they're sold, using a mobile app (which doesn't exist yet), by phone or online. Cards can also be set to reload when the balance gets low, deducting from your bank account automatically.

Why should I get a card?

There are a few advantages to using a registered Hop card compared with buying paper tickets or passes:

  • TriMet will institute fare-capping for Hop card users. After paying two fares in one day, the same as the cost of a day pass, any more rides that day are free. Similarly, once you've paid the equivalent of a monthly pass, you'll be boarding for free for the rest of the calendar month.
  • Registered Hop cards can be replaced if lost or stolen. TriMet currently only replaces annual passes that are reported lost or stolen, not day, week or month passes.

The system is also supposed to speed boarding at stops.

Can I use one card for my whole family?

No. The trade-off for fare-capping is that TriMet will require one card per person boarding, and each card will be good for only one fare type -- adult, youth or honored citizen.

What are my other options?

TriMet will continue to accept cash and paper tickets for the foreseeable future. It will also continue to accept the TriMet Tickets smartphone app.

Will TriMet be able to track me or identify me from my card?

When a Hop card is tapped, TriMet will transmit and retain that data to facilitate fare-capping. But it has an option for people wary of being tracked or identified: the agency will let people register their card with a pseudonym and personal identification number registered by phone.

-- Elliot Njus