L.A. transit officials hope the new smart card system, in the works for more than a decade, will make riding buses and trains more customer-friendly.
"Imagine getting on a bus without having to fumble for exact change or wait behind somebody trying to stuff crumpled dollar bills into the fare box. Consider transferring from the subway onto a bus operated by the city of Long Beach or another municipal transit agency using the same prepaid pass.
For Wally Shidler, the fantasy has begun: He simply taps his new transit "smart card" every time he boards the Blue Line or gets on a Metro bus. He is one of about 50 volunteers testing the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's new universal fare system."
"When completed, the regional transit pass - similar to those used in Washington, D.C., Chicago and the Bay Area - will help create the seamless system envisioned by transit officials a decade ago. So far, the MTA has budgeted more than $165 million for equipment and this summer signed a $32-million contract to provide customer service."
FULL STORY: MTA tests what it hopes will be easy ticket to ride
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