For A Smart Move
New technology provides access and challenges to Madison’s bus system that must be adopted and broadcast if its regional Metro Transit is to be a viable transportation option moving forward. A major reason ride share companies such as Uber and Lyft are so popular despite their expense is that they made early use of smartphone technology that enables riders to solicit a ride from/to anywhere at any time and pay via a credit card or similar cashless electronic transfer. Public transit has the competitive advantage however, IF it used smartphone technology as adeptly. After all, most people would prefer to pay $2 instead of $10 for the same ride. Before the era of smartphones, transit riders had been pining for years for Metro Transit smart cards. Smart cards (such as Wiscards) are a special type of pocket-sized card embedded with an integrated circuit that enables the owner to load it with money. Every time it is used subsequently, the cost of the transaction is automatic