Recently, the RUSA Board approved a change that gives Permanent/Populaire owners and riders the option of using an Electronic Proof of Passage (EPP) in addition to the current control card/receipt process in use today. There was a long discussion among the route owners about the possible challenges, additional opportunities, policies and limitations of EPP but, in the long run, there was significant support for allowing it. The key takeaway, at least at this point, is that EPP is optional and must be agreed to by both the route owner and the rider before it can be used. No one will be forced to use EPP if they don’t want to. This means that you will find route owners who accept it and others who do not.

For now, the key benefit of EPP is in reducing the time and effort required from the rider to document and submit their rides. Many feel that, for all but the most technology savvy route owner, it will increase the time spent approving a route. Maybe, at some point, the policy will be expanded to allow routes that require EPP. This may be a limiting factor for riders who don’t want to invest in GPS devices and/or smart phones but it would allow for more creative route designs that don’t have to rely as heavily on control placement. Read the rest of this entry