Students taking Bay Area Rapid Transit to SF State will finally be able to use the TransLink system this June.

The TransLink system will be open on BART system this summer, according to officials. BART will join MUNI and AC Transit in the TransLink program.

The TransLink system has been operational in part for years now, but due to software problems, has yet to be fully integrated into the city's transportation infrastructure. The system will be fully installed in May, and open to the public a month afterward, said a spokesperson for BART.

TransLink cards are reloadable and use a microchip to keep track of where and when the fares are deducted. They can be simply swiped across a TransLink receiver to deduct the user's fare. The receivers are set up in both entrances of buses as well, which actually makes it legal for TransLink users to slip in through the back door of a crowded MUNI.

TransLink has been in operation on MUNI for months now, and according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, about 4,000 people use it. The card can be loaded for $45 to give unlimited rides on MUNI, much like the Fast Pass. But since BART was not set up, TransLink users couldn't get onto BART for the monthly fee, thus inhibiting its usability.

With the new system in place, students would be able to reload their cards more efficiently, avoiding machines and lines to get onto MUNI.

No word yet on if there will be student discounts for TransLink or if students will be able to buy the cards on campus.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is still testing the TransLink system for CalTrain, but does not yet have it operational, which has limited some students' optimism.

"That's great that it's going to be up for BART, but they've been testing it on CalTrain for years now and it won't really be useful until all three things are connected," said Ryan Burke, an accounting major.