Clipper launched today, which will replace the TransLink card. more ›

Change is afoot in your commute, ladies and gentlemen. As of late June, you'll no longer be able to buy Muni Fast Passes online, and as of October those fun, colorful, ever-changing paper passes will disappear forever. Muni is forcing everyone to move over to the Translink system, WHICH, as of next week, will no longer be called Translink. It will heretofore henceforth be called Clipper, and all that Translink branding will need to be swapped out. (See that link for times when you can receive a free ClipperCard... otherwise they're $5.) more ›

Reports have it that Muni plans on replacing our beloved paper FastPasses with the TransLink Card sometime later this year. Unless you're some kind of shut in, you have already seen the green and gray TransLink card readers all over your regular bus lines and Muni metro/BART stations as they have been testing the system for over a year now. So, what is this mysterious TransLink Card? It's a stored value card with a smart chip embedded on the surface that can be used to pay fares on AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit & Ferry, and most (but not all) Muni lines. The card vaguely reminds this writer of phone cards we used to use back in the early '90s when we lived in Europe. Cutting edge technology! more ›

SF Appeal reports that Muni will be replacing all existing fare gates at its underground Metro stations with TransLink-only fare gates (PDF) by fall of 2010, and it's possible Fast Passes will only be available electronically as well. more ›

In about a month, you can officially get your TransLink card for BART. According to SFGate, "testing of the regional TransLink fare card on BART appears to have had no major glitches, providing a shot of good news for a project that has been hampered by years of delay." Come May 8, riders will get to test out TransLink for BART. Which, of course, is fantastic news. "It will be a major milestone once TransLink is operational on BART," chirped Ann Flemer, deputy director of operations for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. more ›

From what we hear, TransLink seems to work well now. (Sort of.)
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Now that there are working Translink readers on all Muni busses and trains, we decided to get a card. The card-getting process is easy - just sign up on the site as a trial user and the card shows up a week or so later. more ›

A few things: more ›

Photo by AgentAkit more ›

Apparently San Francisco is still pretending that this TransLink thing will work someday, but we don't know why. Muni just released a statement (dated April 4, 2008 -- A MESSAGE FROM THE FUTURE!!!) letting us know what we already know: it doesn't work. We know this already because Muni has adorned every single one of their buses with multiple copies of a "TransLink is not Ready" poster. (Where've we heard that before? Oh, yes, the entire last decade.) more ›

Good news: Translink will be up and running on Muni in the late fall/early winter of 2007. Or at least, that's what Muni said last year, and surprise! It's still not working. (And before that, it was January of 2007.) Translink is the work of a company called ERG, Ltd (emphasis on the "limited"); and in the decades (decades!) that it's been bandied about, lots of other cities have managed to set up Translinks of their own. No wonder Scott Schroeder, BART's controller-treasurer, wants the MTC to cut its losses and just give up on the project. more ›

Still? Grumble, grumble. more ›