Skip to main content

Init wins US electronic fare collection system

US public transportation company The Rapid recently awarded Init a contract for the implementation of an electronic fare collection system. The Rapid operates the public transit bus service for the metropolitan area of Grand Rapids, Michigan and beyond. The contract calls for the delivery of an account-based smart card and mobile ticketing solution which will improve The Rapid’s service offerings on its fixed-route lines. Public transport vehicles will be equipped with Init’s onboard ticket readers/valid
April 6, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
US public transportation company The Rapid recently awarded 511 Init a contract for the implementation of an electronic fare collection system. The Rapid operates the public transit bus service for the metropolitan area of Grand Rapids, Michigan and beyond.

The contract calls for the delivery of an account-based smart card and mobile ticketing solution which will improve The Rapid’s service offerings on its fixed-route lines. Public transport vehicles will be equipped with Init’s onboard ticket readers/validators to support multiple forms of payment, including smart cards.  Mobile tickets and EMV credit card payments will be added over time.

To manage the back-end processing and clearing of revenues, The Rapid will utilise Init’s MOBILEvario software solution to provide a powerful online fare validation server and management tool that will deliver the seamless administration of  customer relations, setting of fare rules, revenue processing and statistical evaluation reporting.

As part of the project, Init will integrate the new system with The Rapid‘s existing third party vendors including current providers of its sales outlet terminals, platform validators, fare boxes, and bus-based AVL mobile data terminals.

Related Content

  • June 15, 2017
    Modelling MaaS and making it happen
    Colin Sowman looks at some of the emerging technology being introduced to evaluate and operate Mobility as a Service. The fast-growing interest in Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) has prompted the creation of a host of software systems for those wanting to become a MaaS provider or participate in MaaS offerings. Most recently, at ITS International’s MaaS Market conference, Portuguese company Brisa Innovation announced a name change to A-to-Be to reflect its increasing involvement in the MaaS sector with the lau
  • March 1, 2022
    Nevada expands transit payment options
    EMV on-board validators are available on all fixed route RTC transit buses 
  • February 3, 2012
    Transit ticket validator
    Arcontia, a producer of contactless smart card readers and terminals, has announced a true multiple-technology onboard validator for electronic fare collection schemes in public transport.
  • June 17, 2016
    Brooklyn eyes Bogota’s BRT system
    David Crawford considers the increased interest in bus rapid transit and looks that the latest trends. Bus rapid transit (BRT) is gaining an increasingly high profile in the US public transport agenda, for two main reasons. One is the potential for ‘trains on wheels’ to save substantially on installation costs as compared with other modes such as underground metros or light-rail transit. Another, highlighted in the case of New York City, is the value of having a rapid surface-based alternative available whe