Skip to main content

Cubic launches Umo platform in Bloomington

'Umo protects our riders from overpaying in the long run,' says transit agency
By David Arminas November 18, 2024 Read time: 2 mins
Umo: 'Seamless and fair access to transit for everyone'

Cubic Transportation Systems has launched the Umo Mobility Platform in the US city of Bloomington, Indiana.

Cubic said that the joint effort with Tag Canada Fareboxes and Bloomington Transit means riders will have the flexibility of paying fares through mobile app, reloadable smart card, paper token and cash.

Transit riders will also have access to powerful account management features inside the Umo Mobility App and on the new Umo Passenger Portal to help them get where they need to go using the service, fare and payment option that best suits their needs.

Cubic said that a principal benefit of the solution is that it significantly reduces the operational burden of having to collect and manage cash. This allows Bloomington Transit to migrate toward more simple and cost-effective cash collection methods, explained Angela Miller, vice president and general manager of mobility essentials with Cubic Transportation Systems.

“The Umo Platform facilitates seamless and fair access to transit for everyone,” said Miller.

Bloomington Transit can use new fare capping and incentive features, giving them the ability to limit the cost of transit trips to a fixed fare for a fixed period. This provides riders with the convenience of only paying for what they use and incentivises them to ride more without the limits on the number of trips they can take.

For Bloomington Transit, the Umo system will also allow reduced operating associated with greater data capture, analytics and reporting, flexible fare policy management and more advanced security management and administrative tools.

“This fare collection technology project with Umo enhances the customer experience for Bloomington Transit riders,” said John Connell, the transit agency's general manager.

“But more importantly, it provides equity by allowing those who are not able to buy a discounted monthly pass upfront to receive the same benefits as those who can. Using Umo protects our riders from overpaying in the long run.”

Related Content

  • July 4, 2012
    Meeting the challenges of smartcard fare payment
    David Crawford monitors a growing trend in contactless smartcard ticketing The north east United States has become a hive of activity in the smart fare payment arena. In October 2011, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) published, as a preliminary to an imminent procurement process, the detailed concept of its New Fare Payment System (NFPS). Based on open payment industry standards, this is designed to be implemented on all MTA bus and subway services operated by New York City Transit (
  • October 11, 2016
    Mobile payment technologies for Australia
    Contactless technology, the ability to tap your bank issued card or enabled mobile device to make a payment, has brought speed and simplicity to the in-store shopping experience. Doug Howe explains how innovations, like Contactless, in the mobile and banking industries have the potential to transform public transportation. Q Why is public transportation ripe for transformation? A Today, more than half the world’s population lives in cities; that’s a figure set to increase to 70% by 2050. International
  • February 2, 2012
    Developments in smarter multi-modal fare paynment
    This section pulls together all the multi-modal topics in each issue. Subject matter will include smartcards; ticketing and payment systems; passenger information systems; fleet management for buses, trains and light rail; park and ride systems; on-line access to real-time information via Internet portals
  • November 26, 2015
    Cubic Launches Ventra mobile app for Chicago public transport systems
    Cubic Transportation Systems, in partnership with customers Chicago Transit Authority, suburban bus operator Pace and commuter rail Metra, has launched the Ventra Mobile App for public transport passengers in Chicago. The one-stop mobile app gives transit passengers who travel on CTA ‘L’ trains or buses, Pace or Metra commuter trains the ability to plan, manage and pay for their journeys for each of the region’s agencies. The companies say this is an industry first for fully integrated regional transit s