capital region membership card

[grish]

I think I have heard this one before, but I don't remember the source:

we have bus passes, rec centre cards, library cards, and other plastic that we carry around to participate in city activities and use city facilities.

Instead, create a single card to which you can add:
1. single bus fare or a bus pass (to swipe as you enter the bus)
2. library card info
3. recreation centre/ city owned museums etc (such as the zoo, muttart, kinsman, ft. edmonton, etc..)
4. city parking

Benefits:
less vasted paper (on passes and tickets), sponsorship through adds printed on the card, his would create a pretty large membership base--lead to programs such as airmiles-type system. Points may be collected by using the card at any city or region stores. Include the surrounding areas in the program (yes I am as naive as it sounds).

Liabilities:
People are always concerned about their privacy--this should be prtected. Cost to set up the system (this I hope can be off-set by selling ads on the cards (?) 5. turn into a credit card and make it even less expensive for the city to operate. ). there are probably more...

[RichardS]

I like this idea.

[LindseyT]

Somewhat like the U of A card that you can deposite money into and use for most services on campus.

Great Idea!

[ShermanT]

Wow.. this is a most excellent idea.

Privacy and security issues aside, I think it would be something good for convenience sake, and would streamline all the processes. I'm not sure combining a credit card into it would be a good idea, but every other city/public type service would be great.

I really do like systems that combine everything together. We are in the age were information shouldn't fractured so much anymore.

[sean]

Hey, why don't we just go with a biometric data-network that can keep us monitered via GPS, or better yet an embedded scanner device that transmits health code violations such as smoking, testosterone increases and sodium ingestion. I suppose that would be asking too much though really.

Actually, I don't mind the idea, it could be really efficient, but it could also be a waste of time and resources if it didn't get advertised, and just became yet another type of card one has to carry around. Not big on the credit card hookup though, but it could be an optional choice too.

[ThomasH]

It's a great idea, but I'm not convinced that it well it will sell. Paying by cash as about as universal a ticket you will get, and that is hard to compete with. I wonder if Edmontonians would welcome another card in their wallets.

[LindseyT]

/ \ but it has the potential to eliminate multiple cards.


A problem I see is in order for it to be effecient enough to use on a bus it has to be a single swipe kind of card. You simple can't have people waiting while some body swipes, punches their code and waits for the reply. With that, if you misplace the card it becomes pretty easy for somebody to use it multiple times before it is reported.

I guess a solution would be for all other uses it is a debit style card where you punch in a code. That way you are protected from significant charges like library uses. Even then if it takes you a couple days to report it missing somebody could only rack up a dozen or so bus trips.

[grish]

true, waiting for someone to swipe on the bus may be a bit of a problem.
on the bright side, we can ensure people pay the full fare (instead of dumping a whole bunch of pennies hoping it will create enough noise that the bus driver would assume there was enough money). the system with transfers may be stream-lined--the computer will keep track of how much time is left on the payment with, hopefully, a 15min grace period.
also, make purchasing monthly or daily passes for bus fare and trips to city facilities available online through a secure log-in. This way, admissions to places such as Ft. Edmonton is a simple swipe of the card.

[grish]

bump...