Milwaukeeans have a lot of smartcards to carry around, but two of them just got combined into one that will make travel within the city easier.
Milwaukee County Transit System and Bublr Bikes have worked to overcome compatibility issues between the M•CARD bus fare smartcard and the Bublr Bikes keyfob. Because the technologies don’t play well together, which would allow one card that could serve both purposes, Bublr created a sticker that includes a chip that works with its system and doesn’t interfere with the MCTS technology.
Adding that sticker to the back of the M•CARD creates a single card with a double purpose. The combo card is being called a Buslr Card.
"Having one card is just more convenient. The easier it is for people to move seamlessly through Milwaukee’s transit ecosystem, the easier it is for folks to leave their cars at home," said James Davies, Bublr senior director of operations and planning, in a news release.
"This is another way we are looking to make getting to work, school and everywhere you need to go even easier," said Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele – who unveiled the card at a press conference today – in a statement.
"Kudos to MCTS and Bublr for finding a creative way around a problem. One of my goals since taking office has been to make government more nimble and empowering, and projects like this are the perfect example of what we can do when we work together."
To help kick off the new Buslr collaboration, Bublr is selling its annual pass at 25 percent off when you order a Buslr sticker and use the code Buslr17.
Stickers are available on the "Join Now" link at bublrbikes.org.
M•CARDs are available at nearly 100 locations in Milwaukee County and online at M•CARD Online.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
