Boston Transit Agency MBTA Sees Fast Start to Open-Loop Payments Service
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston has seen quick adoption so far of open-loop payments, with the service accounting for nearly 20% of all trips or “taps,” not counting cash, after only five months. (See table below.)
Figures provided by MBTA show riders tapped nearly 2 million times with credit and debit cards or open-loop credentials in digital wallets last month on subway gates, on board buses and on two trolley lines.
MBTA and Cubic Launch Open-Loop Payments in Boston Under Recent Project Change Order
Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority launched the first phase of its long-delayed, nearly-billion dollar, fare project, introducing open-loop payments to riders of the subway, buses and two trolley lines Thursday.
The launch came only two months after the MBTA board approved a major change order, in May, that
Boston Agency MBTA Hires Vendor to Extend Life of Existing Fare System, as It Waits for Cubic to Complete Project
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, or MBTA, in Boston recently approved another contract with Scheidt & Bachmann, as it seeks to extend the life of its existing fare-collection system until a delayed new fare system from Cubic Transportation Systems arrives.
The MBTA board unanimously approved a $51 million contract with Scheidt & Bachmann, longtime vendor of the agency’s closed-loop CharlieCard program.
In-Depth: Retail Payments Networks Key to Cashless Push by U.S. Transit Agencies
Despite the strong push behind electronic fare payments and buzz around going cashless, only a few transit agencies in the U.S. have actually eliminated cash acceptance on board their buses and other vehicles or plan to do so.
More Transit Agencies Seek to Eliminate Cash Using Retail Cash Points, Fintechs
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, elimination of cash has taken on greater urgency for transit agencies. Fare-collection system suppliers say they are seeing strong demand for cashless options, including linking their mobile ticketing and contactless closed-loop card products to retail networks where customers can use cash.
Boston Transit Agency Seeks to Put Massive Fare-Collection Project Back on Track
The massive new fare-collection system planned by Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, or MBTA, which will include open-loop contactless payments and an expanded closed-loop program, has had trouble getting off the ground. Late last week, the transit agency finalized its “reset” of the project, agreeing to increase the contract by nearly 30% to just over $935 million and to add two more years to the rollout schedule–all in hopes of getting the project back on track.