Using public transit in the San Diego region will get a lot easier with the introduction of the Compass Card — an innovative, plastic “smart card” designed to streamline and expedite fare collection. San Diego joins a select group of metropolitan areas in this merging of public transit and technology. The public launch is slated for 2008.
Adding to the ease of use for operators and customers will be the program’s highly-anticipated creation of a universal, regional fare collection system for the San Diego region’s seven fixed-route bus and rail operations. The technology also will allow the area’s transit operators to collect enhanced ridership and revenue data which should lead to better and more efficient service.
Compass Card will be accepted on most MTS or NCTD Bus, Trolley, or Train services. The embedded smart card technology will allow riders to have their fares validated simply by touching the card to a specially designed ticket vending machine or fare box. For seniors and persons with disabilities the card also will incorporate photo identification on a single card with the transit pass.
Cardholders can purchase monthly and multi-day passes and store them on the Compass Card, and eventually will be able to load cash value onto the cards – even linking them to a checking account to ensure automatic renewal. Because a card is registered to a specific user, if it is ever lost or stolen, it is simply deactivated and a new one is issued.
The current plan is to rollout the Compass Card in stages to ensure optimum performance and customer satisfaction. This stage of implementation will be followed by extensive public testing and the initial public release. Strategic public outreach will be used to ensure a smooth transition to the new system. | 
