Mass Transit magazine features agency profiles, industry trends, management tips and new product information.
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22 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | NOVEMBER 2014 HEN THE MILWAUKEE County Transit System (MCTS) needed to up- grade its nearly 30-year- old fare collection system, leaders there knew it was time to look at fnding some new ways for riders to pay. Dan Boehm, managing di- rector for MCTS, said the system was issuing paper tickets and fash passes to riders, but the availability of smart card readers and technol- ogy made the upgrade enticing, so MCTS chose Scheidt & Bachmann to install a system into Milwaukee buses. And in October, riders were introduced to the new M•Card. "I think the biggest challenge is the project time," Boehm said. "To go from concept to the fnal rollout takes years. We've seen that with other fare systems and we've experienced that ourselves. "It's a big challenge. It takes a lot of time and staf resources." Transit agencies across North America are upgrading their fare collection equipment, but a slew of options can make it overwhelm- ing on deciding which route to take. Some agencies are opting for smart cards, while others are adding mobile ticketing options. Other systems like the Chi- cago Transit Authority (CTA) and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEP- TA) took another path and opted for full open fare payment systems. Across the Atlantic, Transport for London took its upgrades another step further by eliminating cash payments in summer. Boehm said MCTS decided smart card technology was estab- lished enough to move forward on it, but when the agency began planning upgrades, open fare pay- ment systems were still being pi - loted, so it wasn't an option leaders there were willing to pursue. "We weren't comfortable with cellular connections being fast A Fare Deal Breakthroughs in fare collection technology has opened a new era of possibilities for transit agencies wanting to fnd efcient and innovative ways to collect from riders. By Joe Petrie W THE NEW M•Card introduced by MCTS will eliminate the paper tickets and flash passes currently being used by riders. MCTS