How about walking onto a bus, or train and simply flashing a card to get on board?

What about going to a Canada Post office, or a Metro grocery store, or even using your phone, to load up your smart card as you do a gift card? And for good measure, the card contains flexible travel plans, a loyalty program, and possibly value-added deals?

The elimination of bus tickets, transfers and cash bus fares may seem like a science fiction movie, but Hamilton is scheduled to introduce the new Presto transit card program by next September that will introduce e-commerce to the city’s Hamilton Street Railway system.

The PRESTO smart card, which was first introduced in a 2007 pilot project in Mississauga, is expected to expand to include the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton by 2011. In November 2009 the smart card technology will be introduced in Oakville, Union and Bronte rail stations, with Hamilton, Barrie, Lakeshore East, Richmond Hill, and the Go Bus services preparing for the launch in September 2010, said Nick Houston, project manager for the PRESTO Implementation program in Hamilton.

The idea is you could use the card on a bus in Hamilton, and continue to use it on all the transit systems across the Greater Toronto Area.

Smart card technology has been in wide use for years in Europe. Montreal introduced in 2002 its Opus card for transit users to wide-spread acceptance.

The smart card has received rave reviews from Toronto customers, but for the last few years the program, managed by the province through Go Transit, the technology has been an obstacle. There has been some trouble installing the card readers in buses and trains. And there is the issue of operating costs. The smart card capital program will be paid through the city’s $11 million gas tax revenue it receives from the provincial government. But the annual operating costs the individual municipalities will have to bear, said Mr. Houston. He did not know how much Hamilton’s operating costs will be.

The card, similar in size to a gift or debit card, contains a computer chip that communicates with a card reader installed on buses and trains that is suppose to calculate the lowest fare for your trip, deducts the amount automatically from the balance that is stored on it. The card will eliminate tickets, passes, and cash.

“It takes it out of the operator’s hands,” he said.

If a card is lost or stolen, the person can register for a replacement card, said Mr. Houston.

The card will allow a flexible payment process, through the internet, phone, or automatically, so that a person can load up to $1,000 on the card.

“There can be flexible travel plans, flexible payment plans,” said Mr. Houston.

He said Hamilton is fielding proposals from potential third-party agents, including Canada Post, which he said has “forward a very interesting proposal.”

Mr. Houston cautioned introducing the card system will be carefully phase-in for the public.

He said the city will hold information meetings early next year, but location and times have not been established. Mr. Houston said he wanted to wait until after this year’s bus fare discussions have been completed before moving forward with the meetings.