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MBTA expands smartphone ticketing to South Station commuter lines, all ferries
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Comments
Some discount...
If I recall correctly from previous news releases, people who use the mobile tickets will get a $10 discount on monthly passes BECAUSE -- unlike the regular paper tickets -- their monthly pass won't be valid on subways and buses. If their regular commute requires a subway, or if they want a pass that's valid also on buses, they will have to pay $70 additional for a monthly Link pass (or maybe even more if they want a pass that's valid on Express buses).
There are a very large number
There are a very large number of commuter rail riders who walk from South Station, Back Bay or North Station that never step foot on the subway. Those people will save money and have an incentive to use the pass on the phone app. Anybody who uses both commuter rail and the subway would be a fool to purchase the monthly pass on a phone, but I don't think those are the riders they are targeting with the discount.
Drawbacks
Imagine the frustration if your phone dies on you, just when you need it.
Wish I could do this to save
Wish I could do this to save the money, but I sometimes need to get off at Back Bay to catch the Orange Line, so no dice. Disappointing, though not surprising, it will not be integrated.
Integration with Charlie Cards and monthly passes
Isn't that supposed to come next month?
Not for the quiet cars
Dang! I read the headline and got excited that they were ticketing mobile phone users on the commuter rails and ferries, thinking they meant the quiet car. Oh well!