Metrolinx has announced its two millionth Presto card holder, a figure that is up by around 500,000 in the last year. In Toronto, the rollout of Presto readers to buses has begun, all streetcars now accept them and there are already 29 subway stations that are Presto-enabled, with a dozen more to be finished by the end of the summer. By the end of the year all Toronto stations, buses and streetcars will have the readers and a phaseout of the current system of tickets, passes, tokens and transfers is expected to begin.
The current Presto TTC subway network - five more stations will be added shortly
Presto is already the main system used by the eight surrounding local systems in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area, the regional GO network, and the OC Transpo system in Ottawa. Contactless smart card systems are already in place in many public transport systems across the world including London UK, Montreal, Chicago and Beijing but Toronto will at least beat New York City to it by a year if our rollout goes according to plan.
Not only will Presto cards provide a more convenient way to pay (and provide an easy way to track transit users through the system), they will also provide the flexibility to offer many different fare options in future, particularly as the TTC and transit operators outside Toronto will be using the same payment system. The TTC and Metrolinx are currently in negotiations about fare 'integration' (simplifying journeys that cross city boundaries for example), and the TTC is also studying discounts for the elderly and those on low incomes.
To celebrate the two million user milestone, Metrolinx has announced a social media contest where tweeting or Facebook posting can win you $150 of credit on your Presto card.