With news that PATCO plans to implement its "Freedom Card" technology soon and upgrade the fare system that has remained relatively unchanged since its debut in 1969, other systems along the megalopolis (including SEPTA and NJ Transit) are strongly considering investing in electronic Smart Card technology.  SmarTrip cards in Washington, D.C. have been utilizing the technology for years, and here in New York City MTA has teamed up with Citibank and Mastercard to install readers for their credit and debit cards for instant access to the subway through a tap on a reader.

Are the days of an all-inclusive, multi-system "smart card" technology near?  As more and more cities step away from tokens, magnetic readers, and exact change in favor of uniform technology, is it so unlikely that eventually one could megalope with simply a debit/credit card, or a Smart Card that transcends state boundaries?  Much like the EZ-Pass system for auto commuters, which several years ago consisted of a largely confederated group of various names operating under the same technology, which has eventually merged to a toll system implemented all the way from Virginia to Maine.

We look forward to recreating the experiment in a few years, when all you have to do is tap a card to a reader to take public transit up the coast.  At least you'd be less likely to miss important connections.  But despite the rising interest in smart cards, we sincerely doubt "The Bus" in Cecil County, Maryland will be wont to jump on the bandwagon.