CplKlinger
Senior Member
I haven't seen any remarks on their end that they're developing an app, but yeah, they did say they hope that mobile devices can be used for payments this year
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- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
Greenspace
Senior Member
Also supposed to be rolling out credit card payments as well (without the Arc Card), like every other city. You just wont probably save the money on the trip.
William_L
New Member
Just relating my story of testing out the system and my fight with city hall with overcharges.
I started using it in approximately August 2022 and in one trip I was charged an extra $2.75 three times between St. Albert and Edmonton for not tapping off even though I did tap off. On one trip my original $40.00 balance was at $23.00.
I understand growing pains but what set me off was calling in and <excuse, excuse, excuse> for explanations and no leeway to refund me. So I asked for cancellation and a refund of the balance as I would like to wait until the system improves before using it again. It took almost three months of pestering before I received a paper check from the city! An actual hand signed paper check. They have no ability to refund electronically.
They are not setup to operate in the 21st century. I bought a nice plaque to put the paper check on and mounted it on my office wall.
I started using it in approximately August 2022 and in one trip I was charged an extra $2.75 three times between St. Albert and Edmonton for not tapping off even though I did tap off. On one trip my original $40.00 balance was at $23.00.
I understand growing pains but what set me off was calling in and <excuse, excuse, excuse> for explanations and no leeway to refund me. So I asked for cancellation and a refund of the balance as I would like to wait until the system improves before using it again. It took almost three months of pestering before I received a paper check from the city! An actual hand signed paper check. They have no ability to refund electronically.
They are not setup to operate in the 21st century. I bought a nice plaque to put the paper check on and mounted it on my office wall.
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David A
Senior Member
I am a regular transit user, but there are two big (for me) things putting me off using Arc. First, you have to pay to get the card and then you have to remember to tap off.
If I didn't have to pay to get the card, I would probably be willing to try it.
If I didn't have to pay to get the card, I would probably be willing to try it.
You don't have to tap off if you're on ETS routes. You don't get charged extra, I've written a script to verify this.
Also, the card is $6 but you will likely save a lot of money with fare capping. With an Arc card, you don't have to decide ahead of time if it is cheaper to buy a bus pass or just buy tickets. You will automatically be charged the cheaper option.
Auto-reload is fantastic too. You don't have to do anything, your arc card will just automatically work until your credit card expires.
dkazzed
Active Member
I signed my kids up for the Youth/Student Arc Card pilot happening this summer. Chance for them to win 1 of 5 iPads is nice.
JuliallThat
Active Member
The location of the tappers continues to baffle me.
I was running to catch a train before it left at Stadium the other day and ended up boarding without paying because there isn't a single tapper between the entrance to the station and where the train ends. Frankly getting on my train was more important than detouring to pay first.
Whyyyy are all the tappers in the middle of the platform, it's so dumb!!
Has anyone been to another city that's done it this way, even one? I haven't seen it but I also don't get around that much.
I was running to catch a train before it left at Stadium the other day and ended up boarding without paying because there isn't a single tapper between the entrance to the station and where the train ends. Frankly getting on my train was more important than detouring to pay first.
Whyyyy are all the tappers in the middle of the platform, it's so dumb!!
Has anyone been to another city that's done it this way, even one? I haven't seen it but I also don't get around that much.
CplKlinger
Senior Member
I talked with a city staff member about this when I made a similar complaint, and they stated that the ticket validators will eventually be replaced by card scanners. Apparently moving scanners based on user feedback is too expensive to do unless there's a serious issue with one, which is why they haven't scooted the current ones around in the meantime. Why they chose not to install more scanners while waiting for the validators to be phased out, I wish I knew.
Edmcowboy11
Senior Member
^because that makes too much sense.
thommyjo
Senior Member
Holy…that’s a stupid and lazy decision. My gosh. These sorts of thinkers can only get away with this crap in government jobs. A job where you don’t have endless revenue doesn’t allow stupidity like this.
“…based on user feedback..”
You mean fixing the crappy job you did the first time is too expensive? My gosh.
archited
Senior Member
Kick the bums out! (I say... but don't really mean it)
Gronk!
Senior Member
I bought my Arc card this afternoon. It was easy! Walked over to the Central LRT station, found the Arc kiosk and used my credit card to purchase my Arc card and load $20 into it. I then went home to register my Arc card and all that. I look forward to using my Arc card for LRT trips to the Heritage Festival during the August long weekend and the Edmonton Expo in mid-September, not to mention using it for the Valley Line LRT when it opens sometime this decade.
David A
Senior Member
So couldn't they have just put the card scanners close to the ticket validators, which are fairly well located, in the first place?
EdwardEdm
Active Member
Once paper tickets are eliminated, I would expect ticket validator locations would receive Arc card readers. If they had co-located the validators with card readers, extra wiring would have been needed, which would have cost extra and would only end up being used for a few years when both fare products were valid concurrently. ETS did remove existing ticket validators to install the card readers that have been installed so far in some cases.
Gronk!
Senior Member
Where do you tap your Arc card in the Central LRT station?
1) On the pedway level between ATB Place and Commerce Place?
2) At the train level?
3) On the train itself?
1) On the pedway level between ATB Place and Commerce Place?
2) At the train level?
3) On the train itself?