Metro planning to scrap SmarTrip entirely?

[SchuminWeb]

Looks like Metro's planning to scrap SmarTrip entirely and start over:

http://wamu.org/news/10/10/15.php#38048

[79MetroExtraMD]

Granted that the manufacturer is stopping production on the cards, I don't see any other viable solutions happening soon. It really puts Metro (and MTA) in a pickle with a gamut of cards already produced and the looming stop production of the current cards. There are much more opportunities for SmarTrip outside of transit to which could make it comparable to Octopus, PASMO, or Suica. What would be ideal is to have Visa and Mastercard smart credit/debit cards to be able to pay fares similar to the NYC trial, but if Metro decides to go back to square one, there are some serious ramifications in store (basically reinventing the wheel).

[Scrabbleship]

Can't Metro try to just shift to another system that could be backwards compatible? TAP in LA and Breeze in Atlanta are compatible at least in terms of bus fareboxes, I think a few calls and some tweaks to faregates/vending machines would help in the short term.

The ultimate card for both would be to shift to a system a la Opus in Quebec. The firmware for that could also push MARC and VRE over as well and could be the killer app that allows for a true joint system between Baltimore and DC. The technology exists now, DO IT!!!