MTA to solicit proposals for 'New Fare Payment System,' taking first step in finding MetroCard replacement
Tuesday, April 12, 2016,
By Dan Rivoli, Dareh Gregorian
The MetroCard is getting closer to going the way of the token. The MTA has taken its first concrete step into putting the swipe card out to pasture — putting out a solicitation for a "New Fare Payment System."
The agency's request for proposal says it "is seeking a Systems Integrator to design, furnish, install, test, integrate and implement an account-based new fare payment and collection system based on open bank card payment industry standards that will utilize contactless media, including contactless smart cards and mobile devices."
It plans to first test out the technology on its Select Bus Service, the system of fast bus routes that feature off-board payment and bus-only lanes, according to the RFP document.
With the MetroCard set to retire by the end of the decade, the MTA is looking for a new way for riders to pay for subway and bus rides, and is looking into a system where riders would tap a bank card, smartphone or MTA-issued "smart card" that would deduct the fare from an account.
"The New Fare Payment System (NFPS) will replace the current MetroCard fare payment system for both subway and bus operations," the solicitation says.
The MTA plans to spend $419 million through 2019 on the new fare payment system for NYC Transit, according to its still-unapproved capital program. The agency estimates that it'll be nearly six years between the contract being awarded and its "substantial completion."
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.2598346