Skip to main content

Cubic to enhance MTA fare collection system

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) is to carry out a major upgrade to the Maryland Transit Authority’s (MTA) automatic fare collection (AFC) system, under a US$4.8 million contract modification which also includes setting the foundation for new features and functionality. The upgraded system will provide the MTA with the opportunity to accept new payment methods, such as mobile payments, as well as add new features, including a new customer web portal and an integration path with third-party transport servi
November 22, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
378 Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) is to carry out a major upgrade to the Maryland Transit Authority’s (MTA) automatic fare collection (AFC) system, under a US$4.8 million contract modification which also includes setting the foundation for new features and functionality. The upgraded system will provide the MTA with the opportunity to accept new payment methods, such as mobile payments, as well as add new features, including a new customer web portal and an integration path with third-party transport services in the future.

Under the contract modification, CTS will upgrade AFC from its NextFareTM 4.0 revenue management system, to NextFare 7, a cost-effective solution giving the MTA the freedom to innovate, without having to overhaul the entire AFC system. The cloud-based platform will replace all the key functionality currently provided by the existing scheme and offer a number of advanced features, such as payment card industry (PCI) compliant payment application for processing credit and debit transactions; support of enhanced fare policy; and enhanced reporting and analytics, as well as allow the MTA to monitor the conditions of fare collection equipment, so that repairs can be made quickly and efficiently, little impact on customer service.

The platform can also be enhanced in the future to enable the MTA to integrate third-party systems, such as bike-sharing and ride-sharing services, into the transport experience for the public, in alignment with its BaltimoreLink program.

Related Content

  • August 29, 2019
    Tech advances create MaaS without compromise
    Advances in technology make it possible for authorities to compile and maintain MaaS platforms cheaply - and without relinquishing control to third parties. Colin Sowman finds out more… It is increasingly clear that local authorities’ reluctance to implement Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is based on politics and finance. However, the technology underpinning MaaS is evolving rapidly and is presenting new solutions. At its heart, the political resistance comes down to the divide between the ethos of public
  • April 2, 2014
    Plastic is fantastic for payment platform interoperability
    The Sino Visitor Pass aims to promote trade between Singapore and China by making travel easier, as Jon Masters finds out. Singapore has notched up another first in transportation innovation with announcement of a dual-currency payment card in partnership with the province of Guangdong in China. From the middle of 2014, visitors to Singapore and Guangdong will be able to use a ‘Sino Visitor Pass’ to pay for use of public transportation among other things.
  • April 2, 2014
    Plastic is fantastic for payment platform interoperability
    The Sino Visitor Pass aims to promote trade between Singapore and China by making travel easier, as Jon Masters finds out. Singapore has notched up another first in transportation innovation with announcement of a dual-currency payment card in partnership with the province of Guangdong in China. From the middle of 2014, visitors to Singapore and Guangdong will be able to use a ‘Sino Visitor Pass’ to pay for use of public transportation among other things.
  • November 25, 2014
    Cubic and Calgary Parking Authority collaborate on parking
    Cubic Transportation Systems and the Calgary Parking Authority (CPA) of Calgary, Canada have signed a letter of intent for global collaboration to deliver transit and municipal parking solutions leveraging CPA-developed technology. The agreement is among the first of its kind in the parking industry between the public and private sectors. The CPA has developed an innovative, customer-focused parking solution called the ParkPlus system for on and off-street applications by fusing together smart technolog