San Francisco (May 19, 2003) - Starting today, Bay Area transit riders can add value to their Translink cards at the City Payment Center in City Hall. San Francisco City Treasurer unveiled the new service today announcing the addition of TransLink to the transit products and other city services available for purchase at City Hall.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and six San Francisco Bay Area transit agencies introduced the pilot phase of the TransLink regional fare payment system in February 2002. With TransLink, customers use a single smart card, which is about the size of a credit card, to ride Bay Area buses, trains, light rail lines, and ferries. The smart card has a microchip and an antenna embedded inside, which stores cash values and transit passes electronically. Transit riders “tag” the card at a reader that deducts value from the card, then opens a fare gate or signals that the fare has been paid.

“I am delighted to offer this new service to our customers at City Hall,” said Leal. “Bringing TransLink to City Hall adds to the growing number of transactions available at the City Payment Center, a one-stop shop for the City’s financial transactions,” added Leal.

TransLink is available on select stations and routes of BART, MUNI, AC Transit, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. In the future, TransLink will be expanded to additional transit routes and all 28 Bay Area transportation systems.

Other transactions currently available in the City Payment Center in City Hall Room 140 include: payment of water bills, property taxes and business taxes, purchase of transportation passes, including MUNI FastPasses and tokens and BART tickets, processing of passport applications, and purchase of Recreation and Park department Resident Golf cards and pool script books. An accessible “talking ATM” with no surcharge is also available for use by customers.