Compass Card (San Diego)

Public transit smart card

This article is about the former contactless payment system in San Diego. For its successor, see Pronto (smart card).

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Compass Card

Compass Card Examples

2007 Series
Compass Card

2010 Series
Compass Card

Location| San Diego County
Launched| May 1, 2009[a]
Discontinued| August 31, 2021; 2 years ago (2021-08-31)
Successor| Pronto
Technology|

* MIFARE Classic 1K
* TouchPass

Operator| Cubic Transportation Systems
Manager| San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
Currency| USD (Stored value credit; 4-day, 14-day and 30-day passes maximum load)
Auto recharge| Available upon request for registered cardholders
Validity|

* MTS Bus
* MTS Trolley
* NCTD Breeze
* NCTD Coaster
* NCTD Sprinter

Retailed|

* Online
* 5-1-1 San Diego
* Ticket Vending Machines at Trolley and train stops
* The Transit Store at 12th & Imperial Transit Center
* Select Albertsons and check cashing locations

Variants|

* Adult Compass Card
* Youth Compass Card
(50% Discount)
* Senior-Disabled-Medicare Compass Card (75% Discount)

Website| http://compass.511sd.com

The Compass Card (Spanish: Tarjeta Compass) was the first-generation smart card used for automated fare collection on public transport services within San Diego County, California. Administered by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), it was valid on a number of different travel systems in San Diego County including MTS buses, the San Diego Trolley, North County Buses, the Coaster and the Sprinter. The system was operated by Cubic Transportation Systems. Phased out over the third quarter of 2021, it was discontinued on August 31, and its successor, Pronto, launched the following day.[1]

## Description

[edit]

The Compass Card was an orange or yellow, credit-card-sized contactless smartcard which held a transit pass. The Compass Card card must be tapped on electronic readers when entering and transferring within the system in order to validate it. Compass Card readers were integrated in bus fareboxes and standalone readers are located just outside the paid area of rail stations. Because the San Diego Trolley, Coaster and Sprinter operate on a proof-of-payment system, fare inspectors randomly checked to make sure Compass Card users have validated their cards by using a wireless handheld unit. The cards were "recharged" in person from TVMs in rail stations, at MTS or NCTD Transit Offices, at Albertsons stores, or online. The card is designed to reduce the number of transactions at customer service centers. Initially the San Diego Association of Governments only offered monthly passes on the compass card system-wide, and 14-day passes via telephone. Stored cash value cards were introduced in 2017,[2] with plans in the future capable of automatically purchasing a day pass on the first tap.

## Capabilities

[edit]

Customers are able to perform the following transactions at the corresponding locations with a Compass Card as indicated below:

| Legend

|

| Available and functioning
| Available and functioning

Full adult fare only

Locations  | Buy a
new card  | Reload an
existing card  | Pay
with cash  | Pay
with credit / debit  | Sign up
for auto reload  | Register
your card

|
|
|
|
|
|

The Transit Store  |  |  |  |  |  |
Call 511 and say "Compass Card"  |  |  |  |  |  |
Compass Card account management website Archived April 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine |  |  |  |  |  |
Trolley, Coaster, and Sprinter ticket vending machines |  |  |  |  |  |
Select San Diego county Albertsons and check cashing locations

and Transit Center "MTS Station Shops"

|  |  |  |  |  |

## Implementation

[edit]

The following process took place when a user tapped their card on a reader:

* Authenticates the microchip's serial number

(to avoid counterfeited or stolen cards)

* Reads the rider's balance and/or passes, and displays the results
* Reports the rider's activity to the Compass Card server

(rail validators synchronize data immediately, bus validators have a 12- to 24-hour delay)

* Writes the new balance and/or passes

(if applicable)

The next behavior depended on the reader:

* Displays a Thank You message along with a small green light for on-platform readers such as the Coaster, Sprinter, and San Diego Trolley.
* Shows green light and beeps once if Compass Card has valid fare, or shows a red light with an error message and beeps three times if the card is not valid or a read error occurs, for readers installed next to fareboxes. For passes, the expiration date of the pass is also displayed when the green light is lit and the reader beeps once.
* Beeps once if the Compass card has valid fare, or beeps three times if the card is not valid or a read error occurs, for readers integrated into the farebox. For passes, the expiration date of the pass is also displayed shortly after the reader beeps once.
* The driver's side computer will also show OK for a successful pass read. A type of frequency shift-keying that sounds different from the standard confirmation beep will occur for Youth or Senior/Disabled/Medicare passes that are valid, and the driver's side computer will show YTH for the Youth pass or SDM for the Senior/Disabled/Medicare pass.

Read errors that were displayed on the reader screen included, but not limited to:

* Invalid CRC.
* Invalid Card, can occur the first time on some readers even with a valid card, but if the card is valid a second attempt will register correctly. (The driver's side computer will show as NV for an invalid card error).
* Operation Failed, if an add value was initiated from the farebox computer but did not work.
* Read Error. (Seems to occur only on some readers integrated into the farebox, and turning the card sideways when tapping may work around this problem).
* Feedback used too soon. (The driver's side computer will show as FBK for a feedback related error).
* Already Touched.

## Benefits

[edit]

SANDAG offered the following benefits to all Compass Card users:

* First Compass Card cost $2
* Automatic refill (registered users only)
* Pass or balance replacement on lost or stolen cards (does not cover the retail cost of a new card, $2 USD)
* Online store & card management
* Telephone customer service
* Photo ID integration (for senior-disabled-medicare or youth discount pass pass-holders only)*
* Compass Card users may purchase a 30-day "rolling pass" valid for 30 days from the date of purchase in addition to the traditional monthly pass good for a calendar month (monthly pass only for adult Sprinter/Breeze).
* 14-day passes could be loaded onto the Compass Card at the cost of 60% of a monthly pass (adult Regional and Premium passes only).

*Proof of eligibility will be needed at time of purchase and Photo ID will be printed on the compass card, replacing existing Transit IDs.

## Photo gallery

[edit]

* A Compass Card rail validator

* Computer rendering of a Compass Card ticket machine

* A Compass Card being tapped on an integrated farebox validator

* Compass Card Validator Symbol

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Official launch date; pilot testing began in September 2008, and paper monthly passes discontinued in 2010

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "MTS Board Approves Ride Free in September with Pronto" (Press release). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
2. ^ "Introducing Compass Cash via YouTube". San Diego Metropolitan Transit system. June 27, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2021.[dead YouTube link]

## External links

[edit]

1. Compass Card Archived July 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
2. Metropolitan Transit System
3. North County Transit District
4. San Diego's Traffic, Transit and Commute Info Archived February 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
5. Compass Card FAQs Archived October 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine

* v
* t
* e

San Diego Trolley

Blue Line

University City|

* UTC
* Executive Drive
* UC San Diego Health La Jolla
* UC San Diego Central Campus
* VA Medical Center
* Nobel Drive

Clairemont|

* Balboa Avenue
* Clairemont Drive
* Tecolote Road

Old Town/Middletown|

* Old Town
* Washington Street
* Middletown

Downtown|

* County Center/Little Italy
* Santa Fe Depot
* America Plaza
* Civic Center
* Fifth Avenue
* City College
* Park & Market
* 12th & Imperial

Barrio_Logan|

* Barrio Logan
* Harborside
* Pacific Fleet

National City|

* 8th Street
* 24th Street

Chula Vista|

* E Street
* H Street
* Palomar Street

South San Diego|

* Palm Avenue
* Iris Avenue
* Beyer Boulevard
* San Ysidro Transit Center

Orange Line

Downtown|

* Courthouse
* Civic Center
* Fifth Avenue
* City College
* Park & Market
* 12th & Imperial

Logan Heights|

* 25th & Commercial
* 32nd & Commercial

Chollas View/Lincoln Park & Encanto|

* 47th Street
* Euclid Avenue
* Encanto/62nd Street

Lemon Grove|

* Massachusetts Avenue
* Lemon Grove Depot

La Mesa|

* Spring Street
* La Mesa Boulevard
* Grossmont

El Cajon|

* El Cajon
* Arnele Avenue

Green Line

Downtown|

* 12th & Imperial
* Gaslamp Quarter
* Convention Center
* Seaport Village
* Santa Fe Depot
* County Center/Little Italy

Old Town/Middletown|

* Middletown
* Washington Street
* Old Town

Mission Valley|

* Morena/Linda Vista
* Fashion Valley
* Hazard Center
* Mission Valley Center
* Rio Vista
* Fenton Parkway
* Stadium
* Mission San Diego

Grantville & College Area, San Diego|

* Grantville
* SDSU
* Alvarado

La Mesa|

* 70th Street
* Grossmont
* Amaya Drive

El Cajon Santee|

* El Cajon
* Arnele Avenue
* Gillespie Field
* Santee

Other

Other lines & stations|

* Silver Line (limited service)
* Special Event Line (used during Comic-Con only)
* Copper Line (proposed)
* Purple Line (proposed)

* San Diego Square (closed station)
* Columbia Street (closed station)

Connecting services|

* COASTER
* Pacific Surfliner

* MTS Bus
* NCTD Breeze Bus

* Pronto
* Transportation in San Diego
* San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
* San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway
* San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad
* San Diego Electric Railway

* v
* t
* e

COASTER

Stations|

* Oceanside
* Carlsbad Village
* Carlsbad Poinsettia
* Encinitas
* Solana Beach
* Sorrento Valley
* Old Town
* Santa Fe Depot

Other|

* North County Transit District
* SPRINTER
* Compass Card
* PRONTO Card
* San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
* San Diego Association of Governments
* Surf Line

* v
* t
* e

Transportation in San Diego County

Air|

* McClellan–Palomar Airport
* San Diego International Airport

Bus (routes)|

* North County Transit District
* Breeze Rapid
* San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
* Rapid

Commuter rail and inter-city rail|

* COASTER
* Metrolink (Inland Empire–Orange County Line, Orange County Line)
* Pacific Surfliner (Amtrak)

Light rail|

* San Diego Trolley (Blue Line, Green Line, Orange Line, Silver Line)
* SPRINTER

Maritime|

* Broadway Pier
* Port of San Diego

Defunct|

* SuperLoop

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