Baltimore light rail

[Tharmeni]

A question for our Baltimore posters. I rode the light rail from Camden Yard to BWI on Thursday (the $1.60 price tag sure beats the $25 cab ride). I bought my ticket from a machine, boarded when the train arrived but no one ever collected my ticket. Did I mess up? Was I supposed to enter through a particular door or what?

[dldance]

I am not sure about the Baltimore system but many of the light rail systems I have ridden use roaming ticket checkers. On most trips your ticket will not be checked - but if you are checked and can't produce a valid ticket - the fines can be great. Moral of this story - always buy the ticket!

dd

[Tharmeni]

I did notice the ticket was bought on 9/8 and expired on 9/8. Guess I wasn't much of a doofus after all.

[Anonymous]

Some of these systems have an onboard ticket-stamping machine - you put the ticket in the slot when you board, it gets stamped, and all is well. They do check for people failing to either buy tickets or stamp them though - fines are usually high! If such a machine exists it will be well signposted, so don't worry about having missed it (on the one I rode, the machines were bright orange and right in front of the doors).

[Anonymous]

I believe the light rail runs on the honor system. You best have that ticket on you as it will go well for you on the one day they check =)

[vsmith]

LA has a similar system, its based on the honor system, if you ride you need to be able to produce a ticket or they write you a ticket. I kinda prefer the system in Chicago, or NY where you have to enter your ticket thru a turnstyle machine to enter, keeps everyone honest, I also like having stations that have real people working there who you can buy tickets from. I've rode the light rail line before without paying, but it wasnt my fault, every ticket machine in the station was broken!

[tree68]

I rode from BWI (actually just off the airport) to Camden Yards and back a couple of years ago. On the way into Balto, nobody checked our tickets. On the way back a transit cop (who didn't look like someone I wanted to mess with) boarded at one of the stops and checked tickets. I didn't see him throw anyone off...

[RudyRockvilleMD]

The MTA Light Rail does have roving ticket inspectors, and more likely than not you will encounter one on your trip. Ignore the advice of anybody who tells you the MTA ticket inspectors rarely show up on the Light Rail.

By the way part of the MTA Light Rail south of Baltimore runs on the route of the former Washington Baltimore & Annapolis and the frmer Baltimore & Annapolis interurban.

[blhanel]

Minneapolis's new light rail line is the same. Last time I rode it a couple of agents boarded at the second-to-last stop before the Mall of America and found a couple of freeloaders, escorted them off.

[Anonymous]

In the industry its not called an "Honor System" but a "Proof of Payment" system. Fail to provide proof of payment when asked and it will cost you.

[Anonymous]

That system has been in use for years in Europe: Germany, Austria and Switzerland in particular. On busses, the ticket-puncher is usually located at the back door, where the riders get on (they exit the front). The bus driver likes it because he doesn't have to sell rides (there usually is no farebox, in fact). The transit company likes it because it enabled them to get rid of a conductor/ ticket seller at the rear of the bus. People I talked to like it because usually a book of numerous tickets comes at a discount. It's pretty much the same on streetcars. As was mentioned above, the proof-of-payment system can also be convenient on rapid transit due to the lack of turnstiles.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if they'll eventually go with an electronic scan system? Like some tollroads now have.

[Anonymous]

Probably, but I don't look forward to seeing people wearing those little Mobil-gas style transponders on their lanyards. Money and tokens just seem more dignified. Or a book of tickets.

[dldance]

Proof of Payment is popular because it is one the lowest cost fare collection systems to implement and it does not slow boarding during ru***imes.

dd