More plastic? Yes, but this single card will provide rides on AC Transit, BART, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, Muni, and VTA without having to pay each time you board a bus, ferry, or train.

Thanks to the efforts of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the Bay Area will be the first region in the country to have a single card that can be used on all forms of public transit in the region. So, riders with this single transit fare card, called TransLinkR , can transfer from one system to another without the need to carry exact change and/or multiple tickets.

Passengers will “tag” the card near a card reader at a station or on a transit vehicle. The correct fare will automatically be deducted, since an antenna embedded in the card allows contactless fare collection. Cardholders will have the option of adding value to their cards at ATM-type machines or at convenient retail outlets. The TransLinkR card can automatically reload itself when it reaches a minimum value by linking it to a bank or credit account.