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

  • October 22, 2018
    MaaS transit does Dallas
    What started five years ago as a mobile ticketing app is evolving towards a full MaaS offering for the US city of Dallas, Texas. Colin Sowman finds out why and how. When it was launched in September 2013, GoPass was the first multimodal, multi-agency transit fare payment app in the US. Introduced by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (Dart), GoPass combines a mobile ticketing app with a trip planning function and it is also accepted by Trinity Railway Express, Trinity Metro and the Denton County Transportation
  • January 27, 2012
    IRD wins major New York traffic monitoring system contracts
    The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has awarded International Road Dynamics (IRD) two traffic monitoring system contracts. The initial two-year contracts, under which IRD will install, upgrade, repair, operate, and maintain the NYSDOT data collection sites, are valued at US$2.46 million, with three optional one year extensions for a potential total duration of five years with a total value of US$6.15 million. There are four types of traffic data collection sites within the contract, inc
  • September 30, 2019
    Masabi: bespoke tech is holding transit agencies back
    Sixty per cent of transit agencies looking to use account-based ticketing are struggling with bespoke technology which is slow to deploy and costly to maintain, claims Masabi. Masabi CEO Brian Zanghi says agencies have been “denied access” to systems that keep pace with technology in a cost-effective way and have had to invest in bespoke automatic fare collection (AFC) systems. “This has led to limited innovation with some agencies able to purchase the latest systems but leaving many underserved and left
  • May 18, 2018
    Joining the dots: four ways to help cities make the connection
    Smoothing the path to connected transportation systems in urban areas all round the world takes a lot of planning: Cisco’s Kyle Connor lays out the four key areas on which he thinks cities should focus. Forward-thinking cities around the world are exploring innovative, new ways to leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) and related technologies to create more connected and efficient transportation systems. Through greater digitisation and connectivity, cities can optimise public transit routes, reduce