What if SEPTA Key just stayed in a perpetual, purgatory-like state of rollout forever?
Alas, as of today, Monday, June 13, 2016, Philly straphangers can head to 12 stations across the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines and snag one of the first 10,000 SEPTA Key cards, as part of an “Early Adopter” program the transit agency announced on Friday.
“This is a major step forward in the SEPTA Key fare modernization project,” said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey Knueppel. “The Early Adopter program will allow thousands of customers to begin experiencing the convenience of the SEPTA Key, while also providing valuable feedback that we can use to further enhance the customer experience moving forward.”
Throughout the test period, regular passes and fares will remain in effect. And don’t worry, any phasing out of existing “fare instruments” will be announced by SEPTA in advance.
With the new launch, the city faces a test on its comfort with technology. Will riders be wary of SEPTA Key’s contactless cards and RFID scanners? Will those pesky millennials embrace it?
To get the answers it needs, SEPTA will be taking comments from Early Adopters in its Customer Comment form in the hopes of improving the system as it prepares for a network-wide rollout.
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