Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 10

page Aio www.app.com ASBURY PARK PRESS SATURDAY, OCT. 25, 2008 PATH phasing out QuickCard payment DAYMAN I and spas "TTCE 26 YEARS i-tomf saiei! RT CLEAN YOUR TjSL $2,500 to i nnni nen cr aaa rc On Stop Don If All rV By LARRY HIGGS TRANSPORTATION WRITER Passengers who use the PATH rail system soon will have to say goodbye to the QuickCard, the old paper card used for years to pay fares. But a more high-tech way to "tap and pay" may be coming next year for riders of the PATH, MTA and some NJ Transit buses. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials are working with MasterCard on a tap and pay smart card. The card would be similar to MasterCard's PayPass, which has been used on an experimental basis to pay for fares on the Lexington Avenue line of the New York City subway system.

Officials are looking at how to expand that technology to pay fares on NJ Transit buses, PATH trains and New York City subways and buses. But first, the QuickCard, which has been used since 1990, will go the way of the subway token starting Nov. 30. Vending machine sales of the fare cards will begin to be phased out in the remaining PATH stations where they are sold. QuickCards are still available from machines at PATH'S Newark Penn, Ho-boken Terminal, Pavonia-Newport, Exchange Place and the World Trade Center stations until Dec.

31. QuickCard sales at PATH'S other stations in New Jersey and Manhattan have been discontinued. Use of the reusable SmartLink cards has increased significantly since they were introduced last year, with 120,000 riders now holding them. The cards are popular because they have to be swiped at turnstiles, since they have embedded chips, and do not expire. The SmartLink cards also offer a per-trip discount for purchases of multiple ride increments, and Fencing Wain puj Concrete Paver mmm Stamp.

Potlo. vXV FREE Ban Delivery Spai 'Slept 'Covet Cover Lifter Start Up Chemlcali Htm fMoOeti nue subway line. Contactless tap and go readers were placed in 80 fare turnstiles at 30 subway stations through that program. That type of system can't be implemented system-wide on NJ Transit because there is a much more complex fare structure on commuter rail and bus lines, said Dan Stessel, NJ Transit spokesman. "We have thousands of fare combinations; it's a different challenge from a turnstile system with one or two fares," Stessel said.

"We are not looking at it for commuter rail and bus and multiple fare zone trips." A tap and pay system could be an option for light rail or a simple fare structure such as one-zone bus trips, Stessel said. It's too soon to tell exactly where the tap and pay technology could be implemented on NJ Transit, he said. The pilot project's goal is to determine whether such a tap and pay system is viable for riders to use on all the region's transit systems, including New York City subways and buses. ON THE WEB: Visit our Web site, www.app.com, and click on this story for a link to more on the PATH SmartLink cards. On All Spa SaM good thru th 1 243 Yardvllle Allenwood Rd.

the convenience of replenishing the number of rides with a credit card. Passengers can protect themselves against loss by registering the card. Officials are looking toward implementing a regional tap and pay fare card, which could start testing early next year. Last February, the Port Authority board of commissioners entered an agreement with MasterCard Worldwide and NJ Transit to develop and test a tap and pay card and other devices at all 13 PATH train stations and on two connecting NJ Transit bus routes. This card is to be compatible with the MTA's current test of contactless bank cards in the New York City subway system.

The pilot program is expected to launch next year, said Ron Marsico, PATH spokesman. The agreement between the Port Authority, NJ Transit and MTA dates back to a 2005 memorandum of understanding that called on all of the agencies to explore regional payment options. The MTA launched its own pilot test of contactless payment cards with MasterCard Worldwide in July 2006 on the Lexington Ave 6092598838 Allentown, NJ 08501 www.caymonpooltandipai.coni DEPRESSION HURTS WE'VE BEEN BUYING OLD JEWELRY FOR 34 YEARS, NOT 3 DAYS 3 DAYS AND WHO KNOWS WHERE? Beware of those "estate jewelry road They usually take advantage of people in then they always leave town. So be sure to only sell your old jewelry to a jeweler you can absolutely We've been voted the best jeweler in Monmouth County year after year. THIS IS A REAL LBSlL7 Feeling Hopeless 'Trouble Concentrating Lost Interest In Everything Fatigued Trouble Sleeping 'Feeling Worthless Dr Ashok Patel is currently conducting a clinical research study using an approved drug for depression.

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9 3 Ml. SOUTH OF FREEHOLD 732-462-4964 OPEN EVERYDAY, EVEN SUNDAY Mastercard Visa Restaurants Please Call Ahead! Fri. 10-8 Sat. 10-5 www.earth-treasures.com ADVERTISEMENT One StoD Shoo Ftz mbq PTT 1 fi "Ijl Electric Fireplaces Vent Free Fireplaces Wood Burning Stoves 4' -ED Of Your Views "Asbury Park Press, Opinion Page 3601 Highway 66 Box 1550 Neptune, NJ 07754-1551 To Whom It May Concern: On March 6, 2007 the Press published a Letter-To-The-Editor in which I complained about the decision of Monmouth-Ocean Hospital Service or "MONOC," to curtail the operating hours of some of the paramedic units it provides in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. I made several statements that chastised MONOC for its actions and implied that MONOC was not being honest with its explanations of inadequate funding, outdated State regulations and government inaction after years of warnings.

I unfairly suggested that MONOC was driven by greed, not the public well being. I also made inappropriate and outrageous predictions of dramatic increases in paramedic unit response times. The passage of time has made me aware that I was wrong and that I had fallen into the trap of "shooting the messenger." I chose the easy path of blaming MONOC, ignoring their warnings (which dated back to 1996), and burying my head in the sand regarding the real causes of their problem a flawed state mandated EMS system design, unstoppable federal reimbursement cutbacks, and the complacency of the state legislature and bureaucrats. Late last year, a much-awaited "consultant's report" was released by the Department of Health regarding New Jersey's EMS system. The report clearly spelled out the terrible condition we are in and made 55 recommendations to fix it.

One of the most profound findings was an explanation of the dismal financial status of our paramedic system. This independent reviewer detailed the lack of adequate funding of our paramedic system and its precarious position of near-collapse. MONOC was right all along! It also became clear to me last year that MONOC was doing everything it could to minimize the impact of reduced paramedic units. While response times in Lacey Township did increase slightly, MONOC worked hard to cover out town as best as it could with its remaining resources, and my prediction of dangerously long paramedic response times proved false. MONOC was not cavalierly chasing profit as I had implied, it was taking the unpopular actions necessary to save a crumbling system.

Instead of deriding MONOC, I should have been supporting MONOC. In fact, MONOC had actually been saving the system for years by assuming responsibility for no less than 5 financially troubled paramedic programs around the state between 2003 and 2005. Clearly, MONOC was buttressing a collapsing system. MONOC should have been proved, not vilified. My 2007 letter was written out of emotion and ignorance and without seriously considering the facts.

I didn't do my "homework" completely, and I ignored the desperate warnings MONOC has been making. I deeply regret that now and hope others will join me in focusing on the real issues that face us with our EMS system and in supporting MONOC as it strives to improve EMS in New Jersey. Interior Stone Entertainment Centers Interior Stone Entertainment Center Combination an special Bring In This Ad For Any Purchase OFF, $1000 VlllRr nrpcim i A nt ou at nine OI purchase. Cannot be combined un'th i' any other offers. Exp.

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