Cubic Wins Lawsuit Against LA Metro Seeking to Prevent Agency from Releasing ‘Confidential’ Pricing Information
A Los Angeles County superior court judge has ruled in favor of Cubic Transportation Systems in its lawsuit against the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Cubic has mainly sought to block the release of pricing data related to its $66.4 million sole-source contract upgrade approved by the transit last year.
LA Metro mounted no defense in the lawsuit. It did not file a response to Cubic’s Jan. 28 petition or oppose Cubic’s motions for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. Judge James Chalfant ruled in favor of both motions, including the preliminary injunction on Feb. 27 and designated this as a final judgment. This wrapped up the entire case in a little less than a month.
In-Depth: Cubic Lays Out Arguments for Suing LA Metro in Case of ‘Secret’ Pricing Data
Cubic Transportation Systems contends in recent court filings that it would “surely lose future contracts” to competitors if Los Angeles Metro follows through with its purported plans to release what Cubic argues is a trove of confidential cost and pricing information.
Cubic made the arguments in a lawsuit filed Jan. 28 in California Superior Court against LA Metro, seeking to block the agency from disclosing certain information related to its $66.4 million sole-source contract approved last year by the agency.
Cubic Sues to Block Release of Records by LA Metro Related to Sole-Source Contract
Cubic Transportation Systems has gone to court to block Los Angeles Metro from releasing documents that are part of a $66.4 million no-bid contract upgrade Cubic won last year. The pending release stemmed mainly from a California Public Records Act request submitted by Mobility Payments.
In its lawsuit, which Cubic filed in California Superior Court Tuesday, the vendor argues that its pricing and other information it considers confidential and proprietary should be exempt from disclosure under the public-records law, largely because they are trade secrets. (Download the lawsuit petition below.)
Cubic Faces Tight Deadline to Implement Open-Loop Payments in Los Angeles
With approval of a $66.4 million contract upgrade by the LA Metro board, Cubic Transportation Systems now faces a tight deadline to implement open-loop payments for Metro and 26 smaller transit agencies serving Los Angeles County.
The contract approval late last week was expected, but unlike recent decisions by transit boards in Minneapolis, Boston and New York–which largely rubber-stamped
LA Metro Staff Faces Tough Questions from Board Members Over Proposal to Hire Cubic with No-Bid Contract Upgrade
Los Angeles County Metro staffers faced some tough questions Wednesday from members of a board committee, who grilled them on a staff proposal to award incumbent vendor Cubic Transportation Systems a no-bid, $66.4 million, contract upgrade to roll out open-loop payments and account-based ticketing.
The Finance, Budget and Audit Committee declined to take a vote to endorse the proposal before it goes
LA Metro Seeks to Launch Open-Loop Payments in Time for World Cup in 2026; Plans to Hire Cubic with No-Bid Contract Upgrade
Los Angeles County Metro is proposing to launch open-loop payments in early 2026, in time for the FIFA World Cup, which the city will co-host in June and July of that year–a tight deadline to hit. Metro also wants to later be ready with open loop and account-based ticketing when Los Angeles hosts the Olympic Games in 2028.
A Metro staff proposal–which would give incumbent supplier Cubic Transportation Systems a sole-
Tip Sheet: LA Metro Considers Open-Loop Payments, Sole-Source Contract for Cubic
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is believed to be looking at introducing open-loop payments and is considering rehiring Cubic with a sole-source contract to implement the new payments service, along with other account-based ticketing, Mobility Payments has learned.
Some of the discussions are believed to be preliminary, but a sole-source deal is a real possibility for
Los Angeles Transit Authority Follows Through with Plans to Enable TAP Card for Apple Pay; Google Pay to Follow
Another major U.S. transit agency has introduced a virtual closed-loop card for Apple Pay this week, with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Metro, It comes a couple of days after the Washington (D.C.) Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or WMATA, announced it had put its SmarTrip closed-loop card on Apple’s NFC-enabled devices, as well.
Los Angeles Transit Authority to Support Closed-Loop TAP Card in Both Apple Pay and Google Pay
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Metro, plans to introduce an Android version of its TAP closed-loop fare card, with a virtual TAP card for the Google Pay wallet, a Metro spokesman confirmed.