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Arc Smart Fare System

It let me choose under 18 in the form soooo yeah let's see if I get it!

I don't care about getting any iPad anyway lol.
 
Pictures taken by me last night in Central Station.
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The blue info box at the top of Edmonton's project page was changed today(ish), and it now says:

"Thank you to everyone who signed up to test the Arc electronic fare payment system. We continue to work toward the start of the pilot and will be following up with all successful applicants in the weeks leading up to launch, once confirmed.

If you submitted an application to be a volunteer, please continue to buy your fare product as you normally would (tickets, passes, and so on) for the month of August."

Notice that it now removes the reference to the pilot's yet-to-be-decided start date (it used to say "Currently, a specific start date for the pilot has not been confirmed. If you submitted an application to be a volunteer..."), and it instructs those who signed up to continue paying with cash and tickets for the month of August. Further down the page, the pilot's description still mentions a planned start for the summer of 2021, but I still think that this is a noteworthy change.
 
augh @CplKlinger thank you for that update! I applied when it first opened and was feeling all dejected that i didn't make it in. kinda annoying that it's taking so long to test; i was on a bus yesterday (usually i just use a train and bike, so this was unusual for me) and i noticed the ARC card reader was up and running, with as warning not to tap when the door is closed, and switching to a 'tap here' type screen when doors were open. replete with ARC card branding. Let's get this thing running!
 
cliffapotamus said:
augh @CplKlinger thank you for that update! I applied when it first opened and was feeling all dejected that i didn't make it in. kinda annoying that it's taking so long to test; i was on a bus yesterday (usually i just use a train and bike, so this was unusual for me) and i noticed the ARC card reader was up and running, with as warning not to tap when the door is closed, and switching to a 'tap here' type screen when doors were open. replete with ARC card branding. Let's get this thing running!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm irked that it's taking so long as well. Someone told me that they saw a NAIT student tap onto the bus the other day. Presumably the student was using their integrated student ID/upass. The bus driver radioed dispatch for guidance because they didn't know that any sort of testing had started. Apparently the student was allowed to ride though, so I guess it worked? I think it's separate from the main pilot though, since integrated NAIT One Cards are a different kettle of fish.
 
McKernan station is getting its tap machines set up now. They're around halfway done; its north end doesn't have any machines yet. Of the ones which are installed, all but two (one set) are on. There's one vending machine in the shelter, and I'm guessing that's all there'll be since it's a pretty quiet station.
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According to Grant Macewan's Students Union: "Beginning Aug. 23, we will be distributing the ARC cards on the first floor of the SAMU Building across from the benefits office (right beside the elevator). Cards will be distributed between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. Students must present a valid student ID to receive their card." This means that the UofA is the only major institution not to provide a clear answer (NAIT is intergrating Arc Card tech into their student IDs). I contacted a friend of mine who's a UASU elected rep to see if she knows what'll happen. She responded that they'll hopefully decide next week, but no decision has been made yet. They might choose to stick with stickers, but this apparently is not a final decision.
 
I just confirmed with UofA SU exec that we will be using Arc cards for our upasses starting this fall, and they'll be doing a lot of messaging about how to use them in the next week or so. That means students at Grant Mac, NAIT, and the UofA will all be using smart cards for their upasses. Rather than using separate cards, NAIT is integrating the Arc Card tech into their student IDs (the first postsecondary institution in Canada to do so). Norquest has yet to state how their fall 2021 upass will be delivered.
 
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