Smart Card Project
Changes to your student ID card, the Husky Card, are underway within the next few years. Every current University of Washington (UW) student, faculty member, staff member and associate will be issued a new ID card. Incorporated in the new card will be a smart chip for accessing transit services that is part of a joint effort of the UW, Metro Transit and other local public transportation agencies.
The New ID Card
All the new ID cards will have a new look and graphics, photo, the smart card chip and the magnetic stripe. The magnetic stripe will continue to be used for CAAMS door access, use in publication services copy machines, library checkout and other services that accept the Husky Card Account.
Timeline
The timeline for implementation of the UW’s new ID card is dependent on One Regional Card for All (ORCA) implementation progress. The current expected implementation time for the UW is spring/summer 2010. A major notification effort will be launched when a firmer schedule is established. It is our goal to make the recarding process as seamless as possible.
Impact on U-PASS
When Regional Transit moves to this new fare system, they will no longer accept the U-PASS sticker affixed to the Husky Card. The smart card will be the accepted mechanism for transit access. The smart card will only be turned on for those that have paid for U-PASS privileges. There may be a short time during the transition from old cards to new, when the U-PASS sticker will be accepted.
Smart Card Technology
The smart card is a plastic card containing an embedded microchip processor that communicates with card-reader equipment. The smart card uses no contact technology, so a user only needs to bring it within a few inches of a reader for it to work. You may have already seen the ORCA readers on Metro buses. This is in preparation for this transition.
Privacy Issues
There will be no personal information stored on the smart chip. The smart chip will simply have a number in the transit system that either has the U-PASS activated or not. The UW will send files to the transit agency clearing house, which identifies which smart cards are active valid U-PASS holders. These files will have the serial number of the active U-PASSs, but they will contain no names.
UW Commuter Services will be the office that maintains the information on who has a valid U-PASS and will keep this information private in accordance with the UW privacy policy, UW Electronic Information Privacy Policy on Personally Identifiable Information, located online here.
Transportation Agencies
Seven local public transportation agencies (Community Transit, Everett Transit, King Country Metro Transit, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and Washington State Ferries) have joined together to work on the ORCA project. The new smart card will be the common mechanism to allow for ridership among agencies. Ferries will not be part of the standard U-PASS product.
For more information on the Orca project, visit UW Commuter Services.