The fare card thing probably deserves a separate thread. I've heard of several shots at it in CA and assume it's happening elsewhere especially where several systems serve the area. In Sacramento, a card is being pushed to ease transfers between the various city lines and other county lines with RT, and RT wants it so they can start charging zone fares instead of flat fare over the whole system. Unfortunately for them, the light rail system is completely 'open' with honor system fares, and estimates of what it would take to 'close' it BART-like range upward from $1B (it would work better, though!). IOW won't happen, but the fare card thing might and with suitably RFID readers at the car doors the card becomes sort of like a personal EZPass. Do you suppose they might give commuters a discount instead of charging extra for the convenience the way monthly passes work now?

BTW, Sac abandoned transfers entirely a couple of years ago during one of their cash crunches. You pay another full fare to transfer, or buy a day or monthly pass that allows unlimited transfers. And we're supposed to be encouraging transit ridership? Then the fares go up (silently, perhaps, with the fare cards) or some political shenanigan causes major shutdowns. Back to driving. One of the comment exchanges in the Philly article got that right on the head.