The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will soon offer its one million daily commuters a new way to pay for fare. Riders will be able to use a SEPTA-issued smart card to pay for fares.

Auckland is the latest city to join the ranks of metro areas around the world with its “HOP” smart card transit passes. Bus riders in New Zealand’s largest city can use the new cards with several services, including Metrolink and Waka Pacific. Eventually Auckland Transit officials plan to expand HOP to trains and ferries, making it even more convenient for Kiwis and tourists to navigate the huge, sprawling city.

Universities and towns around the world are using RFID tags to combat bicycle theft. At Ohio State University, students, faculty and staff can have their bikes tagged free of charge in the Bug-A-Bike program.

Coming off of the success of their contactless car rental system, the city of Cardiff, Wales is launching a contactless fare system for the city’s network of buses. Instead of carrying cash, bus passengers can instead pay for transit fares using a contactless smart card.

Universities across the country are launching bike sharing programs using their school ID cards to facilitate bike rentals. Campus bike sharing programs bring a convenient and eco-friendly form of transportation and recreation to universities.

Customers no longer need to fumble for pocket change when riding Maryland Transit Authority buses and light rail. The CharmCard streamlines the ticketing process for riders by introducing an electronic payment system.

School buses in Dubai are gearing up for a new school year with smart card readers. Approximately 800 buses will be outfitted with the readers. Each of the 40,000 students who travel to and from school every day on the buses will be issued a smart card that will be used to check students on and off the buses.

Chicago B-Cycle is joining the likes of environmentally friendly car sharing companies like I-GO and Zipcar with a new self-service bicycle sharing venture. Chicago B-Cycle is initially launching 100 bicycles at six popular locations around the downtown area with additional drop off locations. The company already has successful programs up and running in Denver and Minneapolis.

University ID card programs come with significant benefits for students. The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota has come up with a new way to protect one of those benefits, university sponsored transportation, using already existing student ID cards.

Residents of Charleston, South Carolina have a new and convenient way to pay for parking when out and about downtown. The city recently revamped their parking meters with smart card readers. All of the roughly 1,800 parking meters are outfitted with the new technology.

It's fairly common for student ID cards to also serve as passes for public transportation. Often times the card will have a special sticker, or in some cases, the student ID itself is all that's required. As transit payment programs become more advanced however, some schools are changing the ways they integrate student IDs into these systems. Utah Valley University, for instance, is incorporating contactless card technology so that student IDs can function with new card readers installed in Utah Transit Agency (UTA) vehicles. This allows students to carry a single card that works for school applications as well as UTA's new smart card transit pass system.

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has officially launched its long-awaited smart card transit program, allowing riders of buses and trains to pay their fares with a simple wave of a card. The program, dubbed "Presto", is similar to contactless card programs up and running in other cities, for instance Seattle's new Orca Pass.

Vanderbilt University brings us another unique use of student IDs. The school's student government recently unveiled a taxi payment system that enables students to swipe their university ID cards to pay for cab rides. About 200 taxi cabs will be equipped with special card readers for use with the program. 20 cabs will be outfitted with readers for a test run this summer, while the full-blown program will launch in the fall.

The City of Ottawa is the latest to consider a switch to smart card transit passes for regular users of public transportation. Similar programs have popped up in other big cities and have worked to provide a great deal of convenience to riders, while also reducing waste. In Ottawa, the proposed program would enable riders to use a single smart card to pay for bus and train fares. The cards could also be used to ride public transit in other Ontario cities. Eventually the cards would be linked to additional applications such as paying parking meters.

Students and staff at American University may soon be able to ride DC trains and buses using their school ID cards. A pilot program is in place to test American University student IDs that are compatible with the SmarTrip tap-and-enter technology currently used for Washington DC Metro riders.

Several thousand transit riders in Miami were lucky to get their hands on special commemorative Super Bowl cards last week, good for trips on local-area buses and trains. The collectible cards work just like normal smart card transit passes, only with a colorful design featuring the official NFL and Super Bowl XLIV logos.

New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority has long considered a switch from paper transit passes to contactless smart cards, and now it appears the change could take place within the next two years. In the current system, riders of NYC subways and buses use temporary MetroCards which feature a low-coercivity magnetic stripe. The cards are good for a specific number of rides, and once those rides are all used up, the cards are worthless. With a smart card system, riders would be able to use the same card over and over, and could add funds directly from their bank accounts online or at special kiosks.

The Pittsburgh Port Authority is looking to launch a fully functional transit card system by the end of 2010. The new system would enable regular users of Pittsburgh public transportation to carry a single contactless smart card good for travel on buses and other transit vehicles.

It's not uncommon for colleges and universities to integrate their student ID cards with the local public transit system. Having one card act as both student ID and bus pass adds convenience, and it's a great way to encourage students to use public transportation more frequently. At Western Washington University, a project lead by the school's Sustainable Transportation Program aims to create an “all-pass” that combines these two elements. The new ID cards would include two magnetic stripes: one for housing and dining, and one for transit.

Public transit riders in the Seattle area will soon be able to pay for buses, ferries, and trains with a single RFID card. They call it the "ORCA Card" which stands for "One Regional Card for All." And if you've ever been to the Pacific Northwest, you'll be quick to pick up on the fact that the ORCA name also pays homage to the region's beloved orca whales.

The Transportation Security Administration has created a new national standard for biometric screening of flight crews. The new ID requirements will work to improve security, while also expediting the screening of flight crews at airports. These standards allow for the nationwide expansion of “CrewPASS,” a biometric ID system designed for pilots and crews. With CrewPASS, flight crew members are required to have unique biometric components on their credentials.

Smart card technology is at the heart of a new car sharing program for the University of South Florida. The school is joining other colleges across the country in providing communal transportation. The WeCar program provides rental cars for short trips at hourly rates.

The Pittsburgh Port Authority is beginning tests of their new smart card fare system. The pilot program uses 10 Port Authority buses that have been outfitted with new fare collection boxes equipped to handle the new smart card technology. A dozen Port Authority employees were selected at random to participate in the new smart card tests running through August.

Students at Salt Lake Community College are seeing the benefits of their student ID system. Many services are available to them when they flash their OneCard. Upon registration, each student is issued their ID card with their name, picture, and student ID number printed on the card.

Smart card technology is at the heart of a new collaborative transit system in Puget Sound. The Sound Transit line is opening later this month with 12 new stations. A station at the airport is opening later this year. The new ORCA smart card allows riders to load money onto their cards and keep track of their balances through an online system.

Taking transit ticketing technology one step further, South Korea’s Seoul subway system is introducing the world’s first RFID based program for single journey reusable ticketing. The new smart card system will serve a city of over 10 million people and replace paper tickets for passengers that were previously paying with cash.

Utah public transit riders are being introduced to a new fare system. The Utah Transit Authority is putting a new smart card system in place after completing tests on the electronic fare collection system. Electronic readers are positioned at the entrances to buses, train cars and light rail cars. The new smart cards are passed over the reader, eliminating the need for cash.

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has renewed an agreement that lets students and members of the campus community use their university ID cards to ride city buses for free. They call it the U-Pass program. This type of program is fairly common among colleges and universities, as it boosts bus ridership and lets students extend the functionality of their IDs.

The Maryland Transit Administration has partnered with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Administration to integrate the MTA’s new smart cards with the D.C. transit system. The new cards would be able to be used on the Washington Metro system and on the bus system in the city. Washington riders would also be able to use the smart cards on Maryland public transit systems.

It's official, Polish students love smart cards. In a recent poll of Polish students in high schools and colleges, 80 percent love the functionality and versatility of their electronic ID cards. They also found the design of the cards aesthetically pleasing. This resounding approval comes after Poland started deploying the student smart cards in large quantities in 2007. As of now 115 high schools and universities are using the smart ID card program, with another 300 schools expected to follow suit in the near future. The card, which allows secure access to school facilities, works on public transit, and functions as a digital wallet, is used by 1.1 million users every day.

Chicago’s St. Xavier University unveiled a new bike sharing program with environmentally friendly goals in mind. The Green Bike Program allows students and faculty to check out bikes using their Cougar cards. Bikes are unhooked from their docks with a swipe of an ID card and renters are allowed to use them for as they need them. Bikes are then returned to their docks. At the moment, rentals are free. In the fall the university plans to make the program free for the first 15 minutes and then 60 cents for every 15 minutes after that. The university hopes that students will ride the bikes in between classes and on errands instead of jumping in their cars and driving, thereby reducing the impact on the environment.

As part of Pittsburgh’s new smart card fare system for public transit, Port Authority buses are being equipped with new fare collection boxes that will work with the new technology. While the smart cards won’t be fully functional until late 2010 due to tests being run, the new fare collection boxes will still accept cash. The Pittsburgh transit agency wanted to begin upgrading the boxes now, in order to be prepared for the new smart cards, which will be rechargeable passes that can be swiped at the fare box.

Universities all over the country are signing up their campuses for car sharing programs. More than 100 college campuses now have car sharing programs in place. Both U-Haul with its U Car Share and Zipcar are making these services possible to schools and cities across the country. The latest university to jump on board with the environmentally friendly program is the University of California at Berkley.

Chicago Transit Authority is launching a new program that allows users to ride CTA buses and rails and participate in the I-GO Car Sharing program all using one smart card. The CTA has combined with I-GO Car Sharing, an affiliate of a Chicago-based non-profit, in an effort to promote the use of public transportation. The new smart card travel combo provides additional transportation options for Chicago commuters and will help to reduce the impact on the environment by contributing to limiting the number of cars that are on the road at one time.

Riders of Ottawa's OC Transpo system could be using smart cards for fare payment by 2010 if a similar project called "PrestoCard" goes smoothly in Toronto. The PrestoCard will launch in September. Public transit riders will carry a single smart card that can be loaded up with dollars from their home computers. Each card contains a special chip. When the cardholder boards the bus or train, the card is tapped against a reader that automatically deducts the fare.

The Chicago Transit Authority is looking for ways to make life a little easier for commuters. The latest method is a joint smart card that works for Chicago public transit vehicles as well as rental cars from a local car sharing program called I-Go. The aim of the single-card solution is to provide public transit riders with additional travel options beyond the train and bus.

Murcia University in southeast Spain is the latest school to employ HID iCLASS technology for multifunctional student ID cards. In the case of Murcia, a key component of the cards is their ability to serve as transit passes for buses that transport student around the university, and back and forth between its two campuses. The HID iCLASS system makes it easy for students to ride the bus as many times as they'd like, and have their fare payments handled electronically.

Public transit riders in Ottawa will soon be making the switch to contactless smart cards for fare payments. The new electronic fare system will allow riders to wave their cards at a card reader when boarding a bus, O-train, or any future rail lines. The smart cards will replace the city's existing paper transit passes for unlimited travel. Riders can also prepay a specific amount and then have individual fares deducted from the card for each ride.

Starting this fall, French public transportation company SNCF plans on using RFID-enabled smart cards with USB connectivity. The public transit cards, which will be used to make fare payments, can be plugged into a PC or laptop allowing users to connect to the SNCF website and add funds to their cards online.

Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) is set to pilot a new e-payment system that will soon be used across all forms of public transport. The new system will feature smart cards good for commuting, paying for car parks, ERP (Electronic Road Pricing), and even for shopping.

Scotland's busiest rail route is eyeing a new ticketing system that would feature electronic smart cards. With the proposed system, regular commuters who ride the Edinburgh-Glasgow line would have their tickets replaced by smart card rail passes that can be automatically renewed rather than discarded after use. Cardholders would also be able to use their rail passes to buy one-off rides on other rail routes without having to purchase an additional ticket.

Starting this fall, Kansas University students will be able to use their student ID cards as transit passes for riding the university's expanded bus service. Previously, a separate "KU on Wheels" pass was required, but with the new system, students will simply have to wave their student ID to hop aboard.

The Chicago Transit Authority is working with 48 area high schools an ID card program that will provide students with school ID cards that double as CTA transit passes. The students will also receive the benefit of a reduced fare when they use their new cards for riding the bus or train.

Many cities and public transit bureaus offer free or discounted passes or tickets for senior citizens - and Washington D.C. is just one example. For a long time, though, getting a discount on DC's well-known Metro system has been a bit of a polka for seniors in the D.C. corridor.

For New Zealand's densest metropolitan area, mass transit smart cards appear to be looming on the not-so-distant horizon. The Auckland Transport Authority has put a new smart card ticketing system at the top of its to-do list. Because of the area's steadily rising urban population, and in increased interest in public transit, the Transit Authority sees smart cards as an obvious and necessary solution for managing to growth of the public transit system.

The skyrocketing costs of fuel and increasing concerns for the environment have been an incentive for many to use bicycles as a main mode of transportation. Inexpensive, healthy, and decidedly green, bikes have been making a comeback for commuters and leisure-seekers alike. Many cities have capitalized on this new trend with public bike rental programs, based on popular European programs in bike cities like Amsterdam and Paris. Washington DC is the latest addition to the public bike rental program - and has developed a bike rental program that relies on ID cards.

Students and summer youth employees in Washington D.C. will soon receive new SmartTrip One Cards good for travel throughout the entire Metro transit system. Initially, the One Card program was designed to provide District residents with access to certain facilities such as parks and recreation centers, and libraries. Now, with the cards doubling as SmarTrip cards, students will be able to use a single ID to ride the Metro and access their schools and workplaces.

Just in time to host this summer's Olympic Games, the city of Beijing is set to launch a new card program for its subway system. The Beijing subway has used paper tickets for the past 38 years, but starting this week, magnetic stripe cards and smart cards will be used to pay passenger fares.

In an effort to build multiple functions into a single ID card, the Washington DC city government has unveiled the “One Card.” The photo ID serves as a resident's ID card, while also allowing the holder to access public services at locations such as libraries, pools, and parks. Additionally, the card can function as a student ID, and there are plans to integrate the One Card into the Metro public transportation system. It will also be used as an access card for DC government buildings and programs.

Zona Systems, a Seattle-based company, has developed an RFID-based system that aims to enhance security for children making bus trips to and from school. Using RFID technology, the new ZPass system makes it possible to identify when a student boards or exits the school bus. Each student is issued a unique RFID card. A special reader on the bus recognizes the card, even if it's kept in the student's wallet or backpack. No waiving or swiping of the card is required. The system provides parents and school officials with peace of mind by tracking each child's daily journey.

Buses, subways, and other forms of public transportation are quickly becoming more popular commute alternatives as the price of gas rises and traffic becomes more congested. State Farm Insurance in Indiana has launched a test program that will give their employees free bus fare from April 21 through May 17 - to see how many of its 14,000 Bloomington-area employees will catch on to a different type of commute

Many rail, bus, and other transit systems are making the switch to smart cards for quick and easy fare payments. But how convenient is it if you have to carry a different card for each form of transportation, or for mass transit systems in different cities? To solve this problem, a number of cities are exploring ways to develop programs which use a single card for multiple transit systems, even those operating in different regions.

A smart card system known as Trainline Smart is being rolled out in the UK as a convenient new way to pay for rail and bus fares. Trainline expects its new service to account for half of all rail ticket sales by 2012. Not only does the program add convenience, it also reduces the need for producing paper tickets. Currently, Trainline Smart is being deployed in stages across UK rail and bus systems. In time it will serve as an upgrade the London Underground Oyster smart card ticketing system.

16 major cities in China's southeast coast have made plans to implement smart card fare payment systems by 2010. Convenient transportation is a key factor in the development of this increasingly prosperous economic region. So far, more than 3,300 cabs have been equipped with electronic card readers. Readers are standardized so the same smart card can be used to pay fares for different cab services in different cities.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is looking to expand its smart-card fare-collection system to include use on commuter trains, ferries, and in parking facilities. The ultimate goal is to make the system, known as CharlieCard, a "passport" to the entire MBTA coverage area.

Every time I visit New York City, the first thing I do is buy a MetroCard, usually the one that's good for unlimited subway rides for a week. Then, I end up keeping the thing in my wallet for months after my visit. I'm not sure why. I guess it's like I treat the card as some sort of reminder of my trip, a souvenir, like when you hold on to a concert ticket stub. But are these all-so-familiar yellow cards with the magnetic stripe about to be replaced? The answer appears to be "YES."

In many larger cities, commuting by bus or public transit is quite common. But in Des Moines, IA, most commuters still choose to drive to work and park in company lots. There are many reasons behind this; namely the planning involved in catching the bus to and from work and the pressure to have $1.25 in pocket change at all times. Employers in Des Moines like Principal Financial Group, ING and Allied/Nationwide Insurance,have introduced a program where employee ID cards also serve as bus passes for DART,the Des Moines Area Rapid Transit system. Principal's 8,000 employees and any of 1200 ING employees may board any DART bus simply by showing their employee ID card.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced that early October is the new target for the long-awaited launch of the fabled Transportation Worker Identity Credential (TWIC). The TWIC program will provide biometric identification cards for all port workers and a variety of transportation personnel such as airport employees, seamen, and truck drivers. Four years in the making, the sophisticated card system is expected to enroll upwards of 770,000 people, which explains why extra time and care has been taken to ensure security standards and technical specifications are properly met.

Connecting the United States and Canada, and more specifically the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is the International Bridge. The bridge spans the St. Mary’s river and serves as a popular commuter route for many traveling cross-country (literally) on a daily basis. Originally built for only two lanes of traffic, waiting to get on the bridge can be a test of one’s patience. But a recent smart card program, designed with commuters in mind, will allow card holders to pay bridge tolls in automated lanes sure to speed up the process.

The transition from bus tickets and paper transfers to ID cards and plastic bus passes has been rolling along for years. Major cities like London, Washington D.C. and Hong Kong have successfully implemented cards where riders can recharge over and over again. This feature is handy for commuters, especially in bustling, perpetually busy transit systems. Toronto has decided to add its name to the list of cities making the switch, and the Toronto Transit Authority has introduced a new system to implement integrated ticketing in to Toronto's heavily use system of buses and subways.

We’ve all experienced the helplessness of standing in line at airport security while the hands of the clock wind dangerously close to departure time. Usually we have no one to blame but ourselves for being tardy. And it doesn’t make sense to really get upset about the slow-moving lines. In fact, I feel odd when airports aren’t thorough at the security gate. But what if there existed a smart card that could speed up the airport security process? Wouldn’t that be nice?