Beginning in 2016, Circulate launched a "Fix the Compass Card" campaign, advocating for reforms to the region’s fare payment systems.
On September 1, 2021, our mission was completed when MTS and NCTD launched the new PRONTO system. It was a complete success!
In 2016, KPBS revealed that the MTS Compass Card is not “PCI complaint”, leaving customers vulnerable to credit card fraud. Our campaign to "Fix the Compass Card" called on the agency to update their system to fix its vulnerabilities, and to include the basic features available to riders on systems in other regions.
We first campaigned successfully to implement stored value on the former Compass Card. Later, we advocated successfully for free transfers for one-way fares, which were incorporated into PRONTO.
To the credit of the MTS staff, they also went above and beyond, by including a fare-capping policy into the new system. Now riders will never over-pay when they take more transit rides than they planned.
These improvements will help the system be accessible and fair for new customers, occasional riders, and tourists visiting from out of town.
Read up on the extensive coverage of our campaign below
- KPBS: San Diego’s MTS Compass Card Stuck In The Past, January 14, 2016
- KPBS: MTS Admits Credit Card Security Gaps, February 29, 2016
- KPBS: MTS Board Members Ask For Faster Data Security Upgrades, March 3, 2016
- Times of San Diego: Critical KPBS Report Sparks Call for MTS to Issue New Payment Cards, March 8, 2016
- KPBS: Zapf, Alvarez Join Campaign To ‘Fix’ MTS Compass Card, March 8, 2016
- Union Tribune: Editorial - MTS, get on board with security, stored value, March 12, 2016
- Union Tribune: Relief may come for inflexible MTS payment method, April 9, 2016
- KPBS: MTS Compass Card Was Insecure From The Beginning, April 13, 2016
- KPBS: MTS Aims For ‘Stored Value’ On Compass Card By November, June 3, 2016
- Union Tribune: Looking for more flexible MTS ticketing? Keep waiting, September 2, 2016
- KPBS: MTS ‘Stored Value’ Launch Delayed To Early 2017, November 16, 2016
- Union Tribune: More flexible Compass card won't happen until January, December 6, 2016
- KPBS: MTS Launching Mobile Ticketing App — With Limits, March 9, 2017
- Union Tribune: Why is San Diego so behind national curve on one-way fares for trolleys, buses and commuter rail?, April 17, 2017
- KPBS: MTS Adds Long-Delayed "Stored Value" to Compass Card, June 27, 2017
- Union Tribune: Bus, trolley riders can now store money on Compass Card, June 28, 2017
- KPBS: Data Suggest Transit Riders Like New MTS Fare Options, December 27, 2017
- Voice of San Diego: MTS’s Old Board Is Rushing to Adopt a New Fare Payment System, December 13, 2018
- Union Tribune: Fare hikes expected to accelerate decline in bus, train riders, July 1, 2019
- Times of San Diego: MTS To Spend $34 Million On New Fare Collection System, July 15, 2019
- KPBS: MTS Raising Fares To Close $10M Budget Shortfall, August 20, 2019
- Government Technology: As Budgets Sag, San Diego Transit Proposes Fare Hikes, January 8, 2021
- Voice of San Diego: MTS Board Pursuing Transit Advocate’s ‘Free Transfer’ Policy, March 6, 2021
- KPBS: MTS To Lower Youth Fares, Bring Back Free Transfers On Busses And Trolleys, March 11, 2021
- NBC 7 San Diego: Will Free Rides, WiFi Get San Diegans to Ride Mass Transit?, August 25, 2021
- Mass Transit Magazine: San Diego MTS, NCTD launch new PRONTO fare collection system, September 2, 2021
