Another unknown is whether occasional riders or those traveling to city rail stations would balk at paying a double fare for the ride out of Center City. And how about fare evaders who might ride into town free, then take a cheaper bus, subway, or trolley home?
Giving rail commuters the option to pay by credit card - or even a cell phone - might be a convenience outweighed by the complexity of the one-way fare system. For instance, many commuters to suburban towns would face an added step of having to validate their smart-card fare a second time at their destination.
SEPTA officials need to resolve such concerns before moving ahead with the one-way fare plan akin to the toll system on Delaware River bridges.
That calls for greater public input, which transit officials pledged to seek this week after more specifics on the fare plan were aired.
One riders' group, the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers, still is not sold on the plan more than a year after SEPTA officials first consulted it. The group's June 2009 newsletter listed many of the same concerns mentioned this week.
The transit agency should get a clearer picture of how the rail fare system might work when proposals are returned this fall by prospective bidders on the new fare system.
It just may make more sense to have train conductors continue to check fares, but equipped with digital card readers.
Whatever form the smart-card fare system takes, it certainly should not be less convenient for rail riders. For instance, commuters now can use their weekly and monthly rail passes on all SEPTA vehicles - a convenience not available on many urban transit systems.
It's commendable that SEPTA officials hope to "leapfrog" other transit systems by going with the most cutting-edge fare system. But while this process has dragged out for years over funding problems and other glitches, transit riders in other major cities have seen more convenient fare systems put in place.
It's long past time for SEPTA to get on board.
