Goodbye Husky Card, Hello Smart Card

The new Smart Cards are on their way--one step at a time

You’ve been hearing about it. In the not-too-distant future, all UW employees and students will have Smart cards. These new UW IDs will be a single key to all things UW—photo ID, Husky Card Account, and library card—together with a computer chip that will carry your U-PASS information, allowing you to access multiple transit options with a single card. The move to Smart Cards, which will occur in measured steps over the next year, has already begun.

You may not have noticed until now, but you didn’t receive a new employee validation sticker in September. In previous years, sometime near the start of the academic year, current employees received a new dated sticker to affix to the front of their Husky Card validating it for the next year. Well, goodbye validation sticker. They are the first things to be left behind in the move to Smart Card.

Milestones to watch for in the next year include the following:

• Starting in January 2007 newly hired employees will be issued employee picture ID’s. New employees will get their cards at the new ID Center in Odegaard or the satellite ID Centers in UWMC or Harborview based on their employer.
• Beginning mid-year 2007, the ID Center will begin issuing picture ID cards with the embedded "smart card" chip to current employees. The ID Center aims to replace all old employee cards with picture ID’s by fall 2007.

While UW is working to make sure everyone gets their Husky Card replaced by a picture ID with the Smart Card chip, U-PASS will stay out of the fray. The U-PASS stickers you’ve come to know and love will continue to be required on the back of ID cards until Metro, Sound Transit and the other participating transit agencies start “fare operation.” This will likely be late in 2007 or early in 2008.

Remember, the move to Smart Card is scheduled to occur through a series of steps over time. It is possible, as the new system replaces the old, that a glitch or two may sneak through. If you experience difficulty using your UW ID card due to questions regarding the validation date or encounter other problems with the new card system, contact the Husky Card Account and ID Center manager, Sherry Ocshner, at 543-7222 or sherro@u.washington.edu.

For more detailed information on The Husky Card Project visit the Husky Card Web Page

UW Parking Services Accepts Plastic

Mastercard and Visa now accepted for purchase of parking products

At Parking Services Offices: 
Payment accepted for purchase of the U-PASS, Individual Commuter Tickets and parking permits now includes VISA/MasterCard (both debit and credit), as well as cash, check, Husky Card Account, and, for those who are eligible, payroll deduction.

At Gatehouses:
Payment accepted now includes VISA/MasterCard, as well as cash, check, and Husky Card Account.  Please note:

• Prorated refunds are given on exit for cash payments only. Payments made by other methods are not eligible for prorated refunds.
• The U-PASS and a Husky Card Account are still needed for occasional, gatehouse-issued day carpool passes.
• After 1/1/07, campus gatehouses will no longer accept checks.

UW Vanpools Looking for Riders

The following vanpools that come to campus and the U District are recruiting new riders. Read more about vanpools.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Mill Creek to University District and UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.  Pick-up points:  Mill Creek QFC and Ash Way Park & Ride.  Please contact Michael Weaver at wweaver@u.washington.edu or 206-221-2819.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Bainbridge Island to Safeco/UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours 7:15 am - 3:45 pm.  Pick up points:  6:20 am ferry (Bethany Church) & 4:40 pm ferry.  Please contact Lyn O’Doran at lodoran@u.washington.edu or 206-685-9379.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Clinton (Whidbey Island) to SCCA/Fred Hutch/Harborview.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours 7:00 am - 3:30 pm. Pick-up points:  6:00 am & 4:30 pm ferry.  Please contact Chris Cooley at cec6@u.washington.edu or 206-744-9553.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Bainbridge Island to UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours:  7:15 am - 3:45 pm.  Pick up point:  6:20 am ferry (Bethany Church).  Please contact Nikki Pike at epike@u.washington.edu or 206-543-9437.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Southworth to UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours: 7:00 am - 3:30 pm.  Pick up point:  Fauntleroy ferry.  Please contact Jason Alferness at alf@phys.washington.edu or 206-221-2974.

Riders Needed:  Van travels from Lake Stevens to UW.  Monday through Friday.  Work hours: 6:00 am - 3:30 pm.  Pick up points:  20th & Hwy 99 (4:55 am); 128th P&R (5:15 pm).  Please contact Mike Horm at horm@u.washington.edu or 206-616-5159 or 206-510-8261.

U-PASS and ASUW Bike Shop Sponsor Bike Classes

U-PASS is collaborating with the ASUW Bike Shop and Cascade Bicycle Club to offer bicycle classes this fall. Pre-registration required for both classes. Class size is limited.

Fix-A-Flat - November 21, 2006- 5 pm - 7:30 pm (2.5 hours) ASUW Bike Shop

Do you enjoy biking, but is bicycle maintenance a foreign concept beyond your grasp? Ancient Secrets of Bicycle Maintenance (a.k.a. Basic Bike Maintenance) will teach you some basic maintenance techniques, with practice in changing a flat, and a brief discussion of simple brake adjustments. Don't know what tools you should carry with you when you go biking? Don't have any tools? Find out what basic tools are good to bring along. Come to the class prepared with questions, your bike and your helmet. This class is sponsored by the ASUW Bike Shop. $15 per student. Class size is limited to 12. Preregistration required. Contact ASUW Bike Shop at (206) 543-2742.

Road I - December 2 & 3, 2006- 9 am - 1 pm both days (1 class over 2 days), 111 Bryant Building

Day 1: Urban Cycling Techniques: Intro (4 hours classroom) Learn to interact positively and confidently with urban traffic and get tips for riding through intersections and negotiating with cars--designed for recreational cyclists or commuters. Workshop covers bicycle traffic laws, lane positioning, riding strategies, basic equipment and maintenance, emergency maneuvers, and safety. Classroom-only session includes demonstrations of emergency maneuvers and basic maintenance. Take this one
now to gain the experience and take the other on-bike sessions later when you have time for them! Bring helmet. Includes handouts.

Day 2: Urban Cycling Techniques II: Tips and Tricks for Riding in Traffic and Emergency Maneuvers (4 hours on-bike)
On-bike basics of lane positioning, traffic laws, fitting in with and negotiating with traffic, getting through intersections, riding strategies, shifting. Also on-bike practice of techniques for avoiding road rash: riding with confidence in various traffic situations, emergency stops and braking techniques, rock and obstacle dodge, and quick turns. Covers general bike fit and handling. Bring bike and helmet.

This class is sponsored by U-PASS. Class size limited to 12. Preregistration required. Free with U-PASS. Please contact Doug Cox, Transportation Planner, at (206) 616-7493 or by e-mail trnsplan@u.washington.edu

The U-COMMUTE News is published twice a year for staff and faculty. For additional information, visit our web site at http://www.washington.edu/commuterservices/index.php. Your suggestions and comments are welcome. Please contact the Transportation Office at upass@u.washington.edu, 206.543.0450 or Box 355212.