CTS is preferred bidder to upgrade San Francisco Clipper system

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) has been chosen by the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) as the preferred bidder to modernise the Clipper fare payment system. Currently, 22 regional transit operators use Clipper in the Bay area, including Caltrain, SamTrans and Union City Transit. The upgraded system will include an integrated mobile app supporting a virtual Clipper card and provide users access to real-time information, top up their accounts, plan trips and allow them to tap
September 10, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
378 Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) has been chosen by the San Francisco 343 Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) as the preferred bidder to modernise the Clipper fare payment system.


Currently, 22 regional transit operators use Clipper in the Bay area, including Caltrain, SamTrans and Union City Transit.

The upgraded system will include an integrated mobile app supporting a virtual Clipper card and provide users access to real-time information, top up their accounts, plan trips and allow them to tap their phones through fare gates and on buses.

Users will be able to have access to stored value and pass purchases made online and via the mobile app. The system will also be able to accept contactless bank cards and mobile wallet technologies as acceptance grows in the US.

Matt Newsome, vice president and general manager, Western Region, CTS, says the company will bring new features and benefits early, such as mobile and new bus devices, while longer-term upgrades to the back office are completed.

CTS intends to operate the system in partnership with its cloud service partner Microsoft – which will provide the system’s financial, analytic and customer management software.

MTC is due to present the recommendations on 10 September to the Clipper executive board. It will then be considered by MTC’s operations committee on 14 September and then by the full commission on 26 September.

CTS started operating and maintaining the Clipper system on behalf of MTC in 2009.

Related Content

  • January 15, 2014
    US transit networks gear up for chip cards and mobile payments
    Washington Metro has joined Chicago and New York in making plans to accept contactless bank payment cards at the turnstile, as a mass-market switch to EMV-based chip cards appears increasingly likely. Washington Metro has awarded Accenture a US$184 million contract to replace the existing fare collection systems for Metrorail, Metro-operated parking facilities, Metrobus and MetroAccess services. The new system will enable passengers to continue to use existing SmarTrip cards, while expanding fare paym
    Read More
  • August 11, 2021
    Conduent brings contactless payments to Italy
    Conduent says ticket is not stored on a device or other media, but in the cloud
    Read More
  • October 20, 2020
    GMV in tune with contactless Balearics
    Spanish holiday islands' transit solution blends smartcards with EMV system
    Read More
  • November 13, 2012
    Launch of first US smartphone commuter rail ticketing system
    Customers in Massachusetts Bay on the US east coast can now purchase and then display rail tickets and passes using the MBTA mTicket app for iPhone and Android. Blackberry devices will also be supported soon. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Masabi US, the transit mobile ticketing provider, jointly announced the launch of the US’ first full smartphone commuter rail ticketing system. The tickets are displayed on the phone’s screen as an encrypted barcode and as a human readable ticket.
    Read More

Highlighted Content