TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates; ORCA card-reader woes

(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:02 AM: Good morning! Freezing (or just below) temps out there again today, but it’s going to start warming up. No trouble reported in our area so far.

8:34 AM: Had trouble with an ORCA card reader this morning? Jeremy and Colleen did (see Twitter exchanges below), and Metro says it’ll check that out:

@kcmetrobus @westseattleblog looks like many (all?) curbside ORCA readers in West Seattle are busted ("UNIT FAULTY")

— Jeremy Kahn (@trochee) December 2, 2014

9:04 AM: Thanks to Flint for sharing this video of the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry, time-lapsed to a minute and a half:

This was recorded in the Monday sunshine.

WSEA December 2, 2014 (9:24 am)

Does that mean metro does not get paid when the orca readers are broken? I had the same issue a couple weeks back. Very upsetting to know that they don’t even know when their machines are broken when its a revenue leak.

Sue December 2, 2014 (9:39 am)

If only the outside scanners are broken, then I would assume you’d be required to get on the front door of the bus and scan there or risk nonpayment if fare enforcement comes by. If all are broken, then yes, they wouldn’t get paid. But I believe a large percentage of people with Orca cards probably have monthly passes on them, so they’re still getting paid, whether swiped or not.

Joe December 2, 2014 (9:57 am)

Eastbound br still nacked up to nucor at 9:55 am. Wth?!

WSEA December 2, 2014 (1:08 pm)

@sue – thanks for information. A bunch of people were confused on the process and all entered in the rear of the bus. I was unaware there was a card reader in the front for rapid since i’ve always entered in the back. Ha. O’well. Now I know. I guess this would only occur a very small % of the time so its a small revenue leak.

West Seattle Hipster December 2, 2014 (6:02 pm)

I thought the process was for riders to enter at that front of the bus and to exit at the rear?

I wonder how many folks enter at the rear of the bus and neglect to tap the reader. I see fare enforcement on very few bus rides I take.

Sue December 3, 2014 (6:35 am)

West Seattle Hipster, that’s true of all the buses other than Rapid Ride. The reason for the outside scanners is to allow people to board at the middle and back doors as well and make boarding faster. I don’t see as many fare enforcement officers as I used to, but they’re out there. It’s always fun to be standing at the curb (waiting for another bus), watching FE board the bus, and then watching half a dozen people dart out another door, who obviously didn’t pay for the ride.

Sorry, comment time is over.