New Cards Put ‘Charlie On TheMTA’

BOSTON - (03/13/06) – In tribute to Charlie, thefictitious subway rider who couldn’t get off the trainbecause he didn’t have the exit fare, the Massachusetts BayTransit Authority has introduced a new electronic fare system.Remember the hit refrain, ‘he’s the man who neverreturned’? Now Charlie will be able to get off the train asits approaches his Boston home, as long as he has the properplastic card. Charlie’s legacy, the CharlieCard, will enableriders on one of America’s oldest public transportationsystem to pay their fares by using electronic smart or credit/debitcards. The MBTA, known as the ‘T’ to Bostonians, isphasing out coins and tokens and installing smart card dispensersat all of its stations. T officials hope to be fully automated bythe end of 2007.