New SEPTA Payment Technologies

from the inbox:

The SEPTA Board today voted to award a contract of up to $129.5 million to ACS Transport Solutions Group for equipment and services for the installation of a modernized fare system under the New Payment Technologies (NPT) program.

The NPT program will upgrade SEPTA’s outdated fare payment and collection system. Current fare instruments such as tokens, paper tickets and magnetic strip passes will be replaced by contactless payment devices.

Customers will have a number of options for paying fares, such as bank cards, identification cards and smart phones. For those who prefer using cash, pre-paid SEPTA cards equipped with contactless payment technology will be available for purchase.

The NPT installation project will be divided into three phases. This work is expected to be completed within three years.

The first phase focuses on design and testing, with implementation following in the second and third phases. NPT will be rolled out first on buses and trolleys, followed by the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines, and then the Regional Rail system.

SEPTA will conduct an extensive, region-wide customer and community education and awareness program for NPT. These outreach efforts will allow SEPTA to fully explain the details of the system to the public, and demonstrate how it will be used by riders.

For the 90 percent of SEPTA customers who use buses, trolleys, the Market-Frankford Line and the Broad Street Line, the major change will be moving to a user-friendly fare system. NPT will retain some familiar transit fare elements while adding modern amenities. This includes upgrading fare boxes on buses and trolleys and turnstiles at subway stations to accept contactless payments. Customers will pay fares with a simple “tap” of their contactless device of choice upon entry to vehicles and stations.

SEPTA has devoted a section of its website to the NPT program, including details, updates and news about the initiative. Customers will find the section by following the “NPT” link at www.septa.org, or by going to www.septa.org/fares/npt.