RIPTA partners with Init for electronic fare management project

The Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA) has selected Init Innovations in Transportation (Init) to implement an account-based electronic fare and back-office revenue management system on their fixed route fleet of over 240 buses. The technology is designed with the intention of allowing passengers to board faster and have more convenient fare options. Additionally, RIPTA hopes to eventually transition most of its fare transactions to mobile, retail, web and agency-internal e-fare smartcar
February 8, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
The Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA) has selected Init Innovations in Transportation (511 Init) to implement an account-based electronic fare and back-office revenue management system on their fixed route fleet of over 240 buses. The technology is designed with the intention of allowing passengers to board faster and have more convenient fare options.


Additionally, RIPTA hopes to eventually transition most of its fare transactions to mobile, retail, web and agency-internal e-fare smartcards which will allow them to utilize closed-loop and open payment options.

Once completed, passengers will be able to pay for fares by tapping their card or mobile device on a validator. Mobilevario, Init’s back-end processing software, will calculate and validate the transaction against the account and display the remaining balance in real-time.

Init will implement its open architecture for the project to help RIPTA integrate its new and existing partners more easily.

The contract includes EMV-capable e-fare validators, the integration of a Byemark mobile ticketing app and the option to implement platform validators and ticket vending machines in future phases of RIPTA’s fare collection upgrade.

Amy Pettine, Interim CEO of RIPTA, said: “RIPTA is excited to bring this innovative system to our riders. This update will not only make it easier for riders to manage their fares, but it will also speed up boarding times and cut back on the time people have to spend counting coins and bills. Fare products will be available at the touch of the fingertip.”

Related Content

  • June 20, 2017
    Init’s Connect Card fare system launches in Sacramento
    The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), US, has launched the Connect Card, a region-wide fare collection system implemented by Init Innovations in Transportation. The system incorporates nine transit agencies covering six counties within the Sacramento region, serving a population of 2.5 million.
    Read More
  • July 19, 2017
    Init upgrades Portland-Vancouver area electronic fare system
    Canada’s TriMet (Tri-County Metropolitan Transit Authority), C-TRAN and Portland Streetcar have launched Hop Fastpass, an open payments, electronic fare collection system implemented by Init. This regional e-fare system spans multiple agencies allowing transit passengers to pay for trips on TriMet and C-TRAN buses, Portland Streetcar, MAX Light Rail, WES Commuter Rail or the C-TRAN Vine BRT system, which all operate within the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan Area. Hop Fastpass is a fully integrated open pa
    Read More
  • April 17, 2018
    Init's virtual transit fare card available via Google Pay
    TriMet, C-Tran and Portland Streetcar users in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area can now use Init's regional account-based virtual card within Google Pay to purchase transit fare. The fare card's full launch status has been achieved through a collaboration between Init, TriMet, and Moovel. Init's back-office tool Mobilevario has been utilised with the intention of allowing riders to tap their Android devices to any of the company's 1,200 fare validators. Moblevario calculates the fare, valida
    Read More
  • December 14, 2017
    Tri Met and Google team up to trial virtual public transit card
    Portland’s Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District (TriMet) has joined forces with Google to create a virtual public transit card via Android Pay. It allows riders to tap and pay their transit fare using a virtual Hop Card stored in their smartphone with Near Field Communication. The service expected to be available to users in the early part of next year following the beta launch in December 2017. Innovations in Transportation’s (INIT’s) back-end processing system, Mobilevario, serves as the
    Read More

Highlighted Content