CharlieCard
Encyclopedia
The CharlieCard is a MIFARE
-based, contactless, stored value smart card
used for electronic ticketing as part of the Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system installed by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
(MBTA) at its stations and on its vehicles. The CharlieCard was made available to the general public beginning December 4, 2006.
The last metal token was sold on December 6, 2006, at Government Center
station.
The CharlieCard is named after a fictional character in a folk music
song often called "Charlie on the MTA", which concerns a man trapped forever on the Boston subway system (then known as the Metropolitan Transit Authority, or MTA) because he can't pay the 5-cent surcharge required to leave the train.
Since the card's introduction, the Charlie character has been used on a variety of MBTA signs, including construction signage and for directing passengers to various locations.
protest folk music
song, "Charlie on the MTA". The song was written to protest a fare increase in the form of an extra five cent exit fare
for longer rides and was later made popular by the Kingston Trio in 1959.
-based CharlieCard by tapping it flatly against a target on a gate or a vehicle farebox. The card can be read when left in a wallet and the wallet placed against the reader, although periodically the card can not be read. The entire card must be completely flat against the target or else the system might double-charge the customer. The gate then either automatically debits the cost of the passenger's ride card, verifies that the card has a valid transfer or verifies that the card has a pass that is valid for travel at that time at that particular location. Transit riders can add value or a monthly pass to their cards at machines located at MBTA stations and vehicles, MBTA ticket offices, retail sales terminals at select outlets and online.
At present, CharlieCards work on the MBTA's subway and bus services, most of which were converted in 2006. They were originally expected to be usable on MBTA commuter rail
and ferry boat
services by December 2008, with testing on the Commuter Rail originally planned for summer 2008. However, testing has been pushed back to 2009, and full implementation is not expected until 2011. CharlieCards will not be accepted on THE RIDE. Some important progress on this goal for use of the CharlieCard was reported as of the end of October 2010, as the buses of the Framingham area's MetroWest Regional Transit Authority
were reported as in the process of refitting to accept CharlieCards for fare collection, with ten other area regional transit authorities, such as the Brockton Area Transit Authority
, to be included for CharlieCard fare collection use as soon as March 2011. with testing on the Commuter Rail originally planned for summer 2008.
The automated fare collection equipment is also compatible with the MBTA's CharlieTicket, a paper card with a magnetic stripe that operates as a stored value card or time-period (monthly, weekly, or daily) pass. The MBTA first implemented the stored-value CharlieTicket on the Silver Line
in February 2005. The ticket is inserted into a slot in the gate or farebox, the fare is deducted, and the remaining balance is displayed on a small screen. The ticket is then returned to the rider even if there is no remaining value.
CharlieCards can be reloaded and CharlieTickets can be purchased and reloaded at Fare Vending Machines (FVMs) in converted stations and elsewhere in the system including buses. All FVMs accept credit and debit cards; most also accept cash and coins, including the discontinued MBTA tokens. The AFC fareboxes on buses and light rail trains accept CharlieCards, Change Tickets, CharlieTickets, cash (up to $20 bills), coins, and MBTA tokens. When customers pay with cash on the bus, they may receive their change on a "ChangeTicket".
The MBTA gives a discount for CharlieCard users, beginning with the fare increase which took effect on January 1, 2007. For example, a subway or trolley ride costs $1.70 with a CharlieCard but $2 with a CharlieTicket or cash. Local bus riders face a $0.25 surcharge over the CharlieCard fare ($1.25 - $1.50), express bus riders pay an extra $0.70 or $1 depending on the route, and similar surcharges had been planned for commuter rail, and harbor ferries, but not THE RIDE.
The MBTA also plans to continue providing the cards themselves free of charge, at pass offices, at stations throughout the system, at local retailers, and online.
There is also a senior citizen/disabled citizen Charlie pass, with reduced fares for qualifying individuals, called a "Senior/TAP" (Transportation Access Pass) Charlie card. Middle school and high school students also can obtain a discounted Charlie Card.
In March 2008, researchers claimed that the CharlieCard's security is weak.
station, next to the MBTA parking garage. The cages can hold up to 150 bikes each. To use these cages, one must obtain a free plastic Bike CharlieCard, similar to the CharlieCard used to board the train. Cards can be obtained from the MBTA customer service agents at Alewife station, or at the MBTA customer service center at Downtown Crossing
station.
), New York City
(MetroCard), Washington D.C (SmarTrip
), Chicago
(Chicago Card
), the San Francisco Bay Area
(Clipper card), Hong Kong
(the Octopus Card
), Montreal
(OPUS card), Greater Toronto Area
& Ottawa
(Presto card), Seoul
,(T-money
) Shanghai
, Taipei
(EasyCard
), Singapore
, Tokyo
(Suica
), and London
(the Oyster Card
).
. In March 2011, CharlieCard began to be valid on Brockton Area Transit Authority
buses. In November 2011, CharlieCard began to be valid on Lowell Regional Transit Authority
buses.
. Personnel in the Hub Stations will be able to direct customer service agents to customers, and will interact with customers via call boxes located throughout the system. To support the added technology, the MBTA is connecting all subway stations in a fiber optic loop digital network, largely using its own right of way.
the last to be converted on December 22, 2006.
Fare Vending Machines are available at all underground stations, as well as on the baggage-claim level of Logan International Airport
terminals, inside Fenway Park
, and at all stations on the Green Line "D" Branch. Proof-of-Payment Validation machines will also be installed at selected stops on the other Green Line branches.
There are no plans to install Fare Vending Machines at Silver Line surface stops at the present time. Instead, the MBTA plans to install fare card sales terminals inside retail stores at other heavily trafficked locations in the system, including along busy bus routes and near selected Green Line and Silver Line stops, and in non-traditional locations such as Fenway Park
.
The MBTA's solution was to turn the surface portion of the Green Line into a proof-of-payment
system, increase the efficiency of boarding at peak times on surface Green Line stops. All doors on all trolleys will open at some or all stations, depending on the branch. Passengers can pay their fare in several ways, depending on their payment method. Passengers paying with cash must enter through the front door and pay at the farebox, where they may receive a proof-of-payment receipt. Stored-value CharlieCard or CharlieTicket holders may also need to pay at the farebox.
However, selected stops on all four of the Green Line branches contain ticket validators which allow passengers to have money deducted from their CharlieCards or CharlieTickets before boarding and providing them with a proof-of-payment. With this receipt in hand, these passengers can enter through the rear doors of trolleys. In addition, at the busiest stations, MBTA inspectors with handheld validators will be stationed at stops to deduct money from and verify monthly passes on CharlieCards, also allowing these riders to enter through any door. (Thirty of the handheld readers have been deployed, with an additional 20 coming by the end of January 2007, according to the MBTA.) Persons holding monthly passes can also just enter through any doors. All passengers, even those who entered through the rear doors, may still be required to go to the front of the train and make payment (or show their receipt) to trolley drivers. MBTA Transit Police will conduct random checks to make sure riders have paid their fares.
One of the rejected names for the farecard system was "The Fare Cod", a pun on both the way locals might pronounce "Card"
and the fish
that was once integral to the Massachusetts economy, and also a reference to other transit cards named for ocean animals, such as London's Oyster
and Hong Kong's Octopus
. Another rejected name was T Go card with the T being the symbol for the MBTA.
16 in August 2008, but were stopped after a federal lawsuit was filed against them by the MBTA, which resulted in a restraining order being issued. However, their presentation had already been published by DEFCON before the complaint was filed. On August 19, the court ruled the students could give their presentation.
The MIFARE
Classic smartcard from NXP Semiconductors, owned by Philips
, had been previously compromised in March 2008 by a group of researchers led by Karsten Nohl, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science, University of Virginia
. It had also been studied and reported in a presentation by Henryk Plötz and Karsten Nohl at the Chaos Communication Congress
in December 2007 which described a partial reverse-engineering of the algorithm used in the MIFARE Classic chip.
MIFARE
MIFARE is the NXP Semiconductors-owned trademark of a series of chips widely used in contactless smart cards and proximity cards. According to the producers, billions of smart card chips and many millions of reader modules have been sold...
-based, contactless, stored value smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
used for electronic ticketing as part of the Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system installed by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
(MBTA) at its stations and on its vehicles. The CharlieCard was made available to the general public beginning December 4, 2006.
The last metal token was sold on December 6, 2006, at Government Center
Government Center (MBTA station)
Government Center is an MBTA subway station and a transfer point between the Green Line and the Blue Line. It is located at the intersection of Tremont, Court and Cambridge Streets in the Government Center area of Boston.-History:...
station.
The CharlieCard is named after a fictional character in a folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
song often called "Charlie on the MTA", which concerns a man trapped forever on the Boston subway system (then known as the Metropolitan Transit Authority, or MTA) because he can't pay the 5-cent surcharge required to leave the train.
Since the card's introduction, the Charlie character has been used on a variety of MBTA signs, including construction signage and for directing passengers to various locations.
Name
The CharlieCard is named after the title character in the 19481948 in music
-Events:*May 20 - The Second International Congress of Composers and Music Critics 1948 opens in Prague.*June 5 - Opening of the first Aldeburgh Festival, founded by Benjamin Britten, Eric Crozier and Peter Pears....
protest folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
song, "Charlie on the MTA". The song was written to protest a fare increase in the form of an extra five cent exit fare
Exit fare
An exit fare is a method of collecting ridership fees, or fare, from a transportation system where the fee is collected from passengers upon reaching their destination....
for longer rides and was later made popular by the Kingston Trio in 1959.
Card details
The CharlieCard can store value (keep a cash balance) and hold a combination of time-based passes which allow unlimited rides during a set period of time. Passengers use the plastic, RFIDRadio Frequency Identification
Radio-frequency identification is a technology that uses radio waves to transfer data from an electronic tag, called RFID tag or label, attached to an object, through a reader for the purpose of identifying and tracking the object. Some RFID tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the...
-based CharlieCard by tapping it flatly against a target on a gate or a vehicle farebox. The card can be read when left in a wallet and the wallet placed against the reader, although periodically the card can not be read. The entire card must be completely flat against the target or else the system might double-charge the customer. The gate then either automatically debits the cost of the passenger's ride card, verifies that the card has a valid transfer or verifies that the card has a pass that is valid for travel at that time at that particular location. Transit riders can add value or a monthly pass to their cards at machines located at MBTA stations and vehicles, MBTA ticket offices, retail sales terminals at select outlets and online.
At present, CharlieCards work on the MBTA's subway and bus services, most of which were converted in 2006. They were originally expected to be usable on MBTA commuter rail
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
and ferry boat
MBTA boat
The MBTA Boat system is a public boat service providing water transport in the Greater Boston area via Boston Harbor. Both inner harbor and longer distance commuter ferries are operated...
services by December 2008, with testing on the Commuter Rail originally planned for summer 2008. However, testing has been pushed back to 2009, and full implementation is not expected until 2011. CharlieCards will not be accepted on THE RIDE. Some important progress on this goal for use of the CharlieCard was reported as of the end of October 2010, as the buses of the Framingham area's MetroWest Regional Transit Authority
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority
The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority is a regional public transit authority in the state of Massachusetts providing bus and paratransit service to eleven communities in the Boston MetroWest. The MWRTA was formed in 2006 and began service on July 1, 2007 with the purpose of filling a void in...
were reported as in the process of refitting to accept CharlieCards for fare collection, with ten other area regional transit authorities, such as the Brockton Area Transit Authority
Brockton Area Transit Authority
Brockton Area Transit Authority is a public, non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing public transportation to the Brockton area, consisting of the city of Brockton and the adjoining towns of Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Easton, Stoughton, Canton, West...
, to be included for CharlieCard fare collection use as soon as March 2011. with testing on the Commuter Rail originally planned for summer 2008.
The automated fare collection equipment is also compatible with the MBTA's CharlieTicket, a paper card with a magnetic stripe that operates as a stored value card or time-period (monthly, weekly, or daily) pass. The MBTA first implemented the stored-value CharlieTicket on the Silver Line
Silver Line (MBTA)
The Silver Line is the only bus rapid transit line currently operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses...
in February 2005. The ticket is inserted into a slot in the gate or farebox, the fare is deducted, and the remaining balance is displayed on a small screen. The ticket is then returned to the rider even if there is no remaining value.
CharlieCards can be reloaded and CharlieTickets can be purchased and reloaded at Fare Vending Machines (FVMs) in converted stations and elsewhere in the system including buses. All FVMs accept credit and debit cards; most also accept cash and coins, including the discontinued MBTA tokens. The AFC fareboxes on buses and light rail trains accept CharlieCards, Change Tickets, CharlieTickets, cash (up to $20 bills), coins, and MBTA tokens. When customers pay with cash on the bus, they may receive their change on a "ChangeTicket".
The MBTA gives a discount for CharlieCard users, beginning with the fare increase which took effect on January 1, 2007. For example, a subway or trolley ride costs $1.70 with a CharlieCard but $2 with a CharlieTicket or cash. Local bus riders face a $0.25 surcharge over the CharlieCard fare ($1.25 - $1.50), express bus riders pay an extra $0.70 or $1 depending on the route, and similar surcharges had been planned for commuter rail, and harbor ferries, but not THE RIDE.
The MBTA also plans to continue providing the cards themselves free of charge, at pass offices, at stations throughout the system, at local retailers, and online.
There is also a senior citizen/disabled citizen Charlie pass, with reduced fares for qualifying individuals, called a "Senior/TAP" (Transportation Access Pass) Charlie card. Middle school and high school students also can obtain a discounted Charlie Card.
In March 2008, researchers claimed that the CharlieCard's security is weak.
Bike CharlieCard details
On September 18, 2008, two bike parking cages opened at the AlewifeAlewife (MBTA station)
Alewife, located at the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Cambridgepark West in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a local intermodal transportation hub. It is the northern terminus of the MBTA's Red Line, and a bus terminal for several local routes and one intercity route. It opened in 1985.The...
station, next to the MBTA parking garage. The cages can hold up to 150 bikes each. To use these cages, one must obtain a free plastic Bike CharlieCard, similar to the CharlieCard used to board the train. Cards can be obtained from the MBTA customer service agents at Alewife station, or at the MBTA customer service center at Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing (MBTA station)
Downtown Crossing Station of the MBTA, located at the corner of Washington Street and Summer Street and the corner of Chauncey Street and Summer Street in Boston, is the main transfer point between the Orange Line and the Red Line....
station.
Similar Systems
Other transit systems employing technology similar to that used in the CharlieCard include Atlanta (the Breeze CardBreeze Card
The Breeze Card is a stored value smart card that passengers use as part of an automated fare collection system which the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority introduced to the general public in early October 2006. The card automatically debits the cost of the passenger’s ride when placed...
), New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(MetroCard), Washington D.C (SmarTrip
SmarTrip
SmarTrip is a plastic contact-less stored-value smart card used for payment within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority system in Washington, D.C...
), Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
(Chicago Card
Chicago card
The Chicago Card and the Chicago Card Plus are contactless smart cards used by riders of the Chicago Transit Authority and Pace to electronically pay for bus and train fares in the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA and the surrounding suburbs....
), the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
(Clipper card), Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(the Octopus Card
Octopus card
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...
), Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
(OPUS card), Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
& Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
(Presto card), Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
,(T-money
T-Money
T-money is a rechargeable series of cards and other "smart" devices used for paying transportation fares in and around Seoul and other areas of South Korea. T-money can also be used in lieu of cash or credit cards in some convenience stores and other businesses...
) Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
(EasyCard
EasyCard
The EasyCard is a contactless smartcard system operated by the Taipei Smart Card Corporation for payment on the Taipei MRT, buses, and other public transport services in Taipei since June 2002. Its use has since been expanded to include convenience stores, department stores, supermarkets, and...
), Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(Suica
Suica
is a rechargeable contactless smart card used as a fare card on train lines in Japan. Launched in November 2001, the card is usable currently in the Kantō region, at JR East stations near Sendai and Niigata...
), and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(the Oyster Card
Oyster card
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...
).
Regional expansion
In October 2010, CharlieCard began to be accepted on MetroWest Regional Transit AuthorityMetroWest Regional Transit Authority
The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority is a regional public transit authority in the state of Massachusetts providing bus and paratransit service to eleven communities in the Boston MetroWest. The MWRTA was formed in 2006 and began service on July 1, 2007 with the purpose of filling a void in...
. In March 2011, CharlieCard began to be valid on Brockton Area Transit Authority
Brockton Area Transit Authority
Brockton Area Transit Authority is a public, non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing public transportation to the Brockton area, consisting of the city of Brockton and the adjoining towns of Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Easton, Stoughton, Canton, West...
buses. In November 2011, CharlieCard began to be valid on Lowell Regional Transit Authority
Lowell Regional Transit Authority
The Lowell Regional Transit Authority is a public, non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing public transportation to the Greater Lowell area. This primarily includes the city of Lowell and the towns of Billerica, Burlington, Dracut, Chelmsford, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough and...
buses.
Effect on transit employees
Token collectors have been retrained as Customer Service Agents (CSAs), brought out of their booths and assigned to guide MBTA customers in the stations. However, new insulated booths were constructed which allow the CSA to monitor fare machine use and assist when necessary. The MBTA also plans "Hub Stations" within six existing subway stations. These glass-walled control rooms will house personnel monitoring various signal and alarm systems, including Closed-circuit televisionClosed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
. Personnel in the Hub Stations will be able to direct customer service agents to customers, and will interact with customers via call boxes located throughout the system. To support the added technology, the MBTA is connecting all subway stations in a fiber optic loop digital network, largely using its own right of way.
Automated Fare Collection facilities
The bulk of the MBTA's vehicles and stations were transitioned to the CharlieCard-compatible system throughout 2006, with Fields CornerFields Corner (MBTA station)
Fields Corner is a station on the rapid transit Red Line at Fields Corner in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It opened on November 5, 1927, serving as the south end of the line for about a year...
the last to be converted on December 22, 2006.
Fare Vending Machines are available at all underground stations, as well as on the baggage-claim level of Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
terminals, inside Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, and at all stations on the Green Line "D" Branch. Proof-of-Payment Validation machines will also be installed at selected stops on the other Green Line branches.
There are no plans to install Fare Vending Machines at Silver Line surface stops at the present time. Instead, the MBTA plans to install fare card sales terminals inside retail stores at other heavily trafficked locations in the system, including along busy bus routes and near selected Green Line and Silver Line stops, and in non-traditional locations such as Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
.
CharlieCard on the Green Line
The Green Line is the most heavily traveled light rail line in the United States, with an average of 200,000 riders each weekday. Because of this heavy ridership, at selected stops on the Green Line the MBTA implemented the Show-N-Go system allowing riders to flash their monthly passes and enter through the rear doors of a train. This worked well when monthly passes were on paper tickets, as each month's pass differed visually from the previous month (and this was the case well before the introduction of AFC), however it became an issue when the MBTA encouraged riders to store their monthly passes on their CharlieCards, as passes held this way cannot be verified visually.The MBTA's solution was to turn the surface portion of the Green Line into a proof-of-payment
Proof-of-payment
Proof-of-payment or POP is an honor-based fare collection approach used on many public transportation systems. Instead of checking each passenger as they enter a fare control zone, proof-of-payment requires that each passenger carry a ticket or pass proving that they have paid the fare. Ticket...
system, increase the efficiency of boarding at peak times on surface Green Line stops. All doors on all trolleys will open at some or all stations, depending on the branch. Passengers can pay their fare in several ways, depending on their payment method. Passengers paying with cash must enter through the front door and pay at the farebox, where they may receive a proof-of-payment receipt. Stored-value CharlieCard or CharlieTicket holders may also need to pay at the farebox.
However, selected stops on all four of the Green Line branches contain ticket validators which allow passengers to have money deducted from their CharlieCards or CharlieTickets before boarding and providing them with a proof-of-payment. With this receipt in hand, these passengers can enter through the rear doors of trolleys. In addition, at the busiest stations, MBTA inspectors with handheld validators will be stationed at stops to deduct money from and verify monthly passes on CharlieCards, also allowing these riders to enter through any door. (Thirty of the handheld readers have been deployed, with an additional 20 coming by the end of January 2007, according to the MBTA.) Persons holding monthly passes can also just enter through any doors. All passengers, even those who entered through the rear doors, may still be required to go to the front of the train and make payment (or show their receipt) to trolley drivers. MBTA Transit Police will conduct random checks to make sure riders have paid their fares.
One of the rejected names for the farecard system was "The Fare Cod", a pun on both the way locals might pronounce "Card"
Boston accent
The Boston dialect is the dialect characteristic of English spoken in the city of Boston and much of eastern Massachusetts. The accent and closely related accents can be heard commonly in an area stretching into much of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and areas of south-western Nova Scotia...
and the fish
Atlantic cod
The Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a well-known demersal food fish belonging to the family Gadidae. It is also commercially known as cod, codling or haberdine....
that was once integral to the Massachusetts economy, and also a reference to other transit cards named for ocean animals, such as London's Oyster
Oyster card
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...
and Hong Kong's Octopus
Octopus card
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...
. Another rejected name was T Go card with the T being the symbol for the MBTA.
Security
The security used on the mag-stripe CharlieTickets was broken by a team of MIT students. They were scheduled to give a talk about their findings at DEFCONDEF CON
DEF CON is one of the world's largest annual computer hacker conventions, held every year in Las Vegas, Nevada...
16 in August 2008, but were stopped after a federal lawsuit was filed against them by the MBTA, which resulted in a restraining order being issued. However, their presentation had already been published by DEFCON before the complaint was filed. On August 19, the court ruled the students could give their presentation.
The MIFARE
MIFARE
MIFARE is the NXP Semiconductors-owned trademark of a series of chips widely used in contactless smart cards and proximity cards. According to the producers, billions of smart card chips and many millions of reader modules have been sold...
Classic smartcard from NXP Semiconductors, owned by Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, had been previously compromised in March 2008 by a group of researchers led by Karsten Nohl, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science, University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. It had also been studied and reported in a presentation by Henryk Plötz and Karsten Nohl at the Chaos Communication Congress
Chaos Communication Congress
The Chaos Communication Congress is an annual meeting of the international hacker scene, organized by the Chaos Computer Club. The congress features a variety of lectures and workshops on technical and political issues....
in December 2007 which described a partial reverse-engineering of the algorithm used in the MIFARE Classic chip.
Further reading
- Brelinsky, Ian; Myhre, Brian; Novosad, Jennifer; Suarez, Chris, "Privacy, SmartCards and the MBTA: A Policy Analysis of the MBTA’s New Automated Fare Collection System", MIT 6.805 class project paper, December 10, 2004, Massachusetts Institute of Technology