Problems Reloading Q Card

Recently, I received an e-mail from a gentleman who purchased a Q Card from a Kroger but discovered he couldn't reload it at the point-of-sale machine on one of our Park & Ride lots. "They can be reloaded at Kroger (and I assume on-line), Read More...

Paying for Parking at Cypress Park & Ride

Several of you have written in on the blog, asking how the garage at Cypress Park & Ride works. Drivers must tap their Q Card to raise the gate and enter the garage. At that time, $1.50 is deducted from your full-fare Q Card to pay for parking. When Read More...

METRO Pulls Off Industry Firsts with Q Card

Nine days ago, we did something so rare in the industry that other transit agencies nationwide are touting METRO as a model. We completed the switch to a smart card called the Q Card, and we completed our fare restructuring – at the same time! Last Read More...

A Few Hints on the Q Card

Now that it’s been six weeks since we’re officially launched the Q Card, here are a few pointers about using it. First, please try to use one Q Card exclusively for your travel. Some of you are picking up a Q Card at Fiesta, for example, putting Read More...

Charlie's Here! Boston's Smart Card Working Well

As a former resident of Boston, I used to buy tokens to ride the T - the nickname for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 's century-old system with the nation's oldest subway tunnel (dedicated by President William McKinley in 1897), Read More...

Calling All Q Card Boosters: We Need More

Want to be a trendsetter and use the Q Card before all your friends do? Here's your chance. We're recruiting more Q Card Boosters - 2,000 more. You'll get a chance to help us test the system and work out any glitches. And you'll get a Read More...

A Message to Q Booster Wannabes

We have good news and bad news on this Valentine’s Day. First, the good news: We’ve had an overwhelming response to our call for Q Boosters, and the program has exceeded expectations. We have more than 1,000 Q Boosters. The bad news: We are Read More...

Countdown to the Q Card Launch Date

You’ve seen the posters on the rail and you’ve seen the brochures: The Q Card is coming. But many of you have wondered when will old passes be discontinued, replaced by the Q Card. METRO is currently testing the Q Card system to make sure Read More...

Magnetic Stripes and the Q Card

Will the computer chip in the Q Card mess up the magnetic stripes on your other credit cards if you place the Q Card next to a credit card in your wallet? No. Technologically, these chips don’t affect magnetic stripes on credit cards. One of our Read More...

Answers to Your Q Card Questions

The posting on the new Q Card generated a lot of questions from you, so today’s entry will try to answer those. When you tap or flash the Q Card in front of a card reader, you’ll get an audible and visual signal that it has been read. You’ll hear a beep Read More...

Introducing the Q Card: A Simpler Way to Pay

Starting next month, METRO will begin the rollout of the Q Card. The Q Card – which stands for “quick card” - has embedded in it a tiny computer chip and an antenna that will keep track of how much money you load onto the card and how Read More...