STAR will post on updates from Cal-ITP, for the interest of our readers, and to exert some pressure on SacRT to expand the benefits it offers. The December newsletter states: “Monterey-Salinas Transit is our first agency to offer the newly-released Medicare cardholder enrollment pathway“.
The current status statewide is:
| Transit agency | Initial agency launch | Older adults | Agency card | Veterans | Medicare cardholders | Low-income |
| Monterey-Salinas Transit | 12/2021 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ― |
| Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District | 10/2023 | ✅ | ✅ | ― | ― | ― |
| Sacramento Regional Transit District | 10/2024 | ✅ | ― | ✅ | ― | ― |
| Nevada County Connects | 01/2025 (target) | In test | ― | ― | In test | ― |
STAR has encouraged SacRT to implement low-income fares in Tap2Ride. The Tap2Ride readers will show up in the first quarter of 2025. It is not known whether the existing pilot Tap2Ride readers on old light rail cars work with this new system.
Capitol Corridor is not listed because it is a closed pilot.
Credit card payments are starting to show up for transit agencies across the country, but it is unknown what hardware and benefits eligibility they using.
Sacramento Transit Advocates and Riders (STAR) 