CharlieCard

CharlieCard

Location	Boston, Massachusetts
Launched	2006
Technology	Contactless smart card
Manager	MBTA
Currency	USD
Validity	Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Brockton Area Transit Authority, Lowell Regional Transit Authority, MetroWest Regional Transit Authority
Retailed	MBTA Stations
Website	Mbta.com

The CharlieCard is a MIFARE-based, contactless, stored value smart card used for electronic ticketing as part of the Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system installed by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) at its stations and on its vehicles.^[1] The CharlieCard was made available to the general public beginning December 4, 2006.^[2] The last metal token was sold on December 6, 2006, at Government Center station.^[3]

The CharlieCard is named after a fictional character in a folk music song often called "Charlie on the MTA", which concerns a man trapped forever on the Boston subway system (then known as the Metropolitan Transit Authority, or MTA) because he can't pay the 5-cent surcharge required to leave the train.

Since the card's introduction, the Charlie character has been used on a variety of MBTA signs, including construction signage and for directing passengers to various locations.

Name

The CharlieCard is named after the title character in the 1948 protest folk music song, "Charlie on the MTA". The song was written to protest a fare increase in the form of an extra five cent exit fare for longer rides and was later made popular by the Kingston Trio in 1959.

Card details

The CharlieCard can store value (keep a cash balance) and hold a combination of time-based passes which allow unlimited rides during a set period of time. Passengers use the plastic, RFID-based CharlieCard by tapping it flatly against a target on a gate or a vehicle farebox. The card can be read when left in a wallet and the wallet placed against the reader, although periodically the card can not be read. The entire card must be completely flat against the target or else the system might double-charge the customer. The gate then either automatically debits the cost of the passenger's ride card, verifies that the card has a valid transfer or verifies that the card has a pass that is valid for travel at that time at that particular location. Transit riders can add value or a monthly pass to their cards at machines located at MBTA stations and vehicles, MBTA ticket offices, retail sales terminals at select outlets and online.

At present, CharlieCards work on the MBTA's subway and bus services, most of which were converted in 2006. They were originally expected to be usable on MBTA commuter rail and ferry boat services by December 2008,^[4] with testing on the Commuter Rail originally planned for summer 2008.^[5] However, testing has been pushed back to 2009, and full implementation is not expected until 2011.^[6] CharlieCards will not be accepted on THE RIDE.^[7] Some important progress on this goal for use of the CharlieCard was reported as of the end of October 2010, as the buses of the Framingham area's MetroWest Regional Transit Authority were reported as in the process of refitting to accept CharlieCards for fare collection, with ten other area regional transit authorities, such as the Brockton Area Transit Authority, to be included for CharlieCard fare collection use as soon as March 2011.^[8] with testing on the Commuter Rail originally planned for summer 2008.^[5]

The automated fare collection equipment is also compatible with the MBTA's CharlieTicket, a paper card with a magnetic stripe that operates as a stored value card or time-period (monthly, weekly, or daily) pass. The MBTA first implemented the stored-value CharlieTicket on the Silver Line in February 2005. The ticket is inserted into a slot in the gate or farebox, the fare is deducted, and the remaining balance is displayed on a small screen. The ticket is then returned to the rider even if there is no remaining value.

CharlieCards can be reloaded and CharlieTickets can be purchased and reloaded at Fare Vending Machines (FVMs) in converted stations and elsewhere in the system including buses. All FVMs accept credit and debit cards; most also accept cash and coins, including the discontinued MBTA tokens. The AFC fareboxes on buses and light rail trains accept CharlieCards, Change Tickets, CharlieTickets, cash (up to $20 bills), coins, and MBTA tokens. When customers pay with cash on the bus, they may receive their change on a "ChangeTicket".

The MBTA gives a discount for CharlieCard users, beginning with the fare increase which took effect on January 1, 2007. For example, a subway or trolley ride costs $1.70 with a CharlieCard but $2 with a CharlieTicket or cash. Local bus riders face a $0.25 surcharge over the CharlieCard fare ($1.25 - $1.50), express bus riders pay an extra $0.70 or $1 depending on the route, and similar surcharges had been planned for commuter rail, and harbor ferries, but not THE RIDE.^{[9] [10]} The MBTA also plans to continue providing the cards themselves free of charge, at pass offices, at stations throughout the system, at local retailers, and online.^[11][12]

There is also a senior citizen/disabled citizen Charlie pass, with reduced fares for qualifying individuals, called a "Senior/TAP" (Transportation Access Pass) Charlie card. Middle school and high school students also can obtain a discounted Charlie Card.^[13]

In March 2008, researchers claimed that the CharlieCard's security is weak.^[14][15]

Bike CharlieCard details

On September 18, 2008, two bike parking cages opened at the Alewife station, next to the MBTA parking garage. The cages can hold up to 150 bikes each. To use these cages, one must obtain a free plastic Bike CharlieCard, similar to the CharlieCard used to board the train. Cards can be obtained from the MBTA customer service agents at Alewife station, or at the MBTA customer service center at Downtown Crossing station.

Similar Systems

Other transit systems employing technology similar to that used in the CharlieCard include Atlanta (the Breeze Card), New York City (MetroCard), Washington D.C (SmarTrip), Chicago (Chicago Card), the San Francisco Bay Area (Clipper card), Hong Kong (the Octopus Card), Montreal (OPUS card), Greater Toronto Area & Ottawa (Presto card), Seoul,(T-money) Shanghai, Taipei (EasyCard), Singapore, Tokyo (Suica), and London (the Oyster Card).

Regional expansion

In October 2010, CharlieCard began to be accepted on MetroWest Regional Transit Authority.^[16] In March 2011, CharlieCard began to be valid on Brockton Area Transit Authority buses.^[17]

Effect on transit employees

Token collectors have been retrained as Customer Service Agents (CSAs), brought out of their booths and assigned to guide MBTA customers in the stations. However, new insulated booths were constructed which allow the CSA to monitor fare machine use and assist when necessary. The MBTA also plans "Hub Stations" within six existing subway stations. These glass-walled control rooms will house personnel monitoring various signal and alarm systems, including Closed-circuit television. Personnel in the Hub Stations will be able to direct customer service agents to customers, and will interact with customers via call boxes located throughout the system. To support the added technology, the MBTA is connecting all subway stations in a fiber optic loop digital network, largely using its own right of way.

Ticket machines and fare gates at the World Trade Center station on the Silver Line.

Automated Fare Collection facilities

The bulk of the MBTA's vehicles and stations were transitioned to the CharlieCard-compatible system throughout 2006, with Fields Corner the last to be converted on December 22, 2006.

Fare Vending Machines are available at all underground stations, as well as on the baggage-claim level of Logan International Airport terminals, inside Fenway Park, and at all stations on the Green Line "D" Branch.^[2] Proof-of-Payment Validation machines will also be installed at selected stops on the other Green Line branches.^[18]

There are no plans to install Fare Vending Machines at Silver Line surface stops at the present time. Instead, the MBTA plans to install fare card sales terminals inside retail stores at other heavily trafficked locations in the system, including along busy bus routes and near selected Green Line and Silver Line stops, and in non-traditional locations such as Fenway Park.^[12]

CharlieCard on the Green Line

The Green Line is the most heavily traveled light rail line in the United States, with an average of 200,000 riders each weekday. Because of this heavy ridership, at selected stops on the Green Line the MBTA implemented the Show-N-Go system allowing riders to flash their monthly passes and enter through the rear doors of a train.^[19] This worked well when monthly passes were on paper tickets, as each month's pass differed visually from the previous month (and this was the case well before the introduction of AFC), however it became an issue when the MBTA encouraged riders to store their monthly passes on their CharlieCards, as passes held this way cannot be verified visually.

The MBTA's solution was to turn the surface portion of the Green Line into a proof-of-payment system, increase the efficiency of boarding at peak times on surface Green Line stops. All doors on all trolleys will open at some or all stations, depending on the branch. Passengers can pay their fare in several ways, depending on their payment method. Passengers paying with cash must enter through the front door and pay at the farebox, where they may receive a proof-of-payment receipt. Stored-value CharlieCard or CharlieTicket holders may also need to pay at the farebox.

However, selected stops on all four of the Green Line branches contain ticket validators which allow passengers to have money deducted from their CharlieCards or CharlieTickets before boarding and providing them with a proof-of-payment. With this receipt in hand, these passengers can enter through the rear doors of trolleys. In addition, at the busiest stations, MBTA inspectors with handheld validators will be stationed at stops to deduct money from and verify monthly passes on CharlieCards, also allowing these riders to enter through any door. (Thirty of the handheld readers have been deployed, with an additional 20 coming by the end of January 2007, according to the MBTA.) Persons holding monthly passes can also just enter through any doors.^[18] All passengers, even those who entered through the rear doors, may still be required to go to the front of the train and make payment (or show their receipt) to trolley drivers. MBTA Transit Police will conduct random checks to make sure riders have paid their fares.^[20]

One of the rejected names for the farecard system was "The Fare Cod", a pun on both the way locals might pronounce "Card" and the fish that was once integral to the Massachusetts economy, and also a reference to other transit cards named for ocean animals, such as London's Oyster and Hong Kong's Octopus. Another rejected name was T Go card with the T being the symbol for the MBTA.^[21]

Security

See also: MBTA v. Anderson

The security used on the mag-stripe CharlieTickets was broken by a team of MIT students. They were scheduled to give a talk about their findings at DEFCON 16 in August 2008,^[22] but were stopped after a federal lawsuit was filed against them by the MBTA, which resulted in a restraining order being issued.^[23][24] However, their presentation had already been published by DEFCON before the complaint was filed.^[25] On August 19, the court ruled the students could give their presentation.^[26]

The MIFARE Classic smartcard^[27] from NXP Semiconductors, owned by Philips, had been previously compromised in March 2008 by a group of researchers led by Karsten Nohl, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science, University of Virginia.^[28] It had also been studied and reported in a presentation by Henryk Plötz and Karsten Nohl at the Chaos Communication Congress in December 2007 which described a partial reverse-engineering of the algorithm used in the MIFARE Classic chip.^[29]

See also

• List of smart cards
• Gemalto
• Giesecke & Devrient

References

1. ^ Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. "The Charlie Card Reusable Ticket System". http://www.mbta.com/fares_and_passes/charlie/. Retrieved 2006-12-29. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Daniel, Mac (2006-11-12). "Starts and Stops—Sign of winter: plow drivers sought". Boston Globe. p. B2. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/11/12/sign_of_winter_plow_drivers_sought/. Retrieved 2006-11-12. 
3. ^ MBTA bids farewell to an era the last brass tokens are sold
4. ^ Ryan, Andrew (2007-12-04). "CharlieCard celebrates its first birthday". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2007/12/charliecard_cel.html. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Goodison, Donna (2007-12-05). "CharlieCard setup coming to commuter rail". The Boston Herald. http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1048896. 
6. ^ St. Martin, Greg (2009-07-27). "Riders going for ‘Charlie’". Metro Boston. http://www.metro.us/us/article/2008/07/28/00/5047-72/index.xml. 
7. ^ http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/accessible_services/?id=7108 THE RIDE. Retrieved on July 14, 2007
8. ^ Weir, Richard (2010-10-28). "MBTA's CharlieCard expanding statewide". Boston Herald. http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20101028mbtas_charlie_card_expanding_statewide/. 
9. ^ Shartin, Emily (2006-07-06). "Winners, losers in new T fares". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/07/06/winners_losers_in_new_t_fares/. Retrieved 2006-08-09. 
10. ^ Daniel, Mac (2006-10-07). "T will proceed with fare increases". Boston Globe. p. A1. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/10/07/t_will_proceed_with_fare_increases/. Retrieved 2006-10-07. 
11. ^ Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. "Get the CharlieCard Today". http://www.mbta.com/fares_and_passes/charlie/?id=5604. Retrieved 2006-12-29. 
12. ^ ^{a b} Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (2006-11-30). "CharlieCard Distribution Plan (Press Briefing)". The Boston Globe. http://cache.boston.com/news/special/startsnstops/charliecard.ppt. Retrieved 2006-12-04. 
13. ^ MBTA, Fares and Passes: Reduced Fare Programs"
14. ^ Bray, Hiawatha (March 6, 2008). "T card has security flaw, says researcher". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/03/06/t_card_has_security_flaw_says_researcher/. Retrieved June 18, 2009. 
15. ^ Szaniszlo, Marie (March 6, 2008). "Research: CharlieCard is far from hack-proof". Boston Herald. http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1078138&srvc=home&position=also. Retrieved June 18, 2009. 
16. ^ [1]
17. ^ "Charlie-Card reach expands". The Boston Globe. 2011-03-20. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2011/03/20/charlie_card_reach_expands/. 
18. ^ ^{a b} Daniel, Mac (2006-12-10). "Working out kinks on the Green Line". Boston Globe. p. B2. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/12/10/working_out_kinks_on_the_green_line/. Retrieved 2006-12-10. 
19. ^ "Show-N-Go Continues Along the Green Line" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2006-09-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20051217181340/www.mbta.com/insidethet/press_releases_details.asp?ID=1142. Retrieved 2006-12-29. 
20. ^ Daniel, Mac (2006-12-29). "Free rides will halt on MBTA". Boston Globe. p. B1. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/12/29/free_rides_will_halt_on_mbta/. Retrieved 2006-12-29. 
21. ^ Dig Staff. "Forever, 'Neath the Streets of Boston". The Weekly Dig. http://www.weeklydig.com/articles/what_it_is_36/. Retrieved 2006-08-09. ^{[dead link]}
22. ^ DEFCON 16 Speaker and Talk Abstract list - August 8, 2008
23. ^ McGraw-Herdeg, Michael and Vogt, Marissa, "Students’ subway security talk canceled by court order", MIT Tech newspaper, August 8, 2008
24. ^ Defcon Speakers Sued
25. ^ "EFF to Fight Order Forcing Students to Cancel Subway Hacking Presentation". Efluxmedia. August 12, 2008. http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_EFF_to_Fight_Order_Forcing_Students_to_Cancel_Subway_Hacking_Presentation_22006.html. 
26. ^ Judge backs hackers in Boston subway dispute
27. ^ NXP Product information on the Mifare card
28. ^ Ragan, Steve, "U.VA. researchers crack smartcard chips – Mifare Classic security proven weak", The Tech Herald, March 12, 2008
29. ^ Cf. Wikipedia MIFARE Security article

Further reading

• Brelinsky, Ian; Myhre, Brian; Novosad, Jennifer; Suarez, Chris, "Privacy, SmartCards and the MBTA: A Policy Analysis of the MBTA’s New Automated Fare Collection System", MIT 6.805 class project paper, December 10, 2004, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

External links

• MBTA Privacy Policy
• 2007 Fare Increase Information
• Charlie/AFC Forum at MBTA Forum
• Charlie/AFC Forum at Railroad.net
• Stream of 'Charlie on the MTA'