Uwishunu.com

Tweet

 

As the 6th largest public transportation system in the U.S., serving 4 million area residents, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has an enormous impact on Philadelphia and the people moving through it.

With its sustainability plan, SEP-TAINABLE, that we mentioned this past February, SEPTA is making major strides in its efforts to improve its environmental footprint.

One arm of that plan is the new electronic fare system project, which will replace SEPTA’s legacy system of tokens, tickets and paper transfers with a streamlined system that will be more convenient, secure and eco-friendly. Plus, the new technology will permit seamless travel across all SEPTA services and enable the organization to reduce operating and maintenance costs.

In some ways similar to the E-ZPass system, the electronic fare initiative will allow riders to use bank-issued contactless credit or debit cards or cell phones to pay a fare. Riders will also have the option of using prepaid cards that draw down from an available balance, or the option of purchasing calendar passes and reloading them as necessary. New card-readers will replace old turnstiles or fare-boxes.

Work on the project is expected to get under way this year, and will be rolled out in phases.

SEPTA New Payment Technologies [SEPTA]

Previously: SEPTA Launches Its First-Ever Sustainability Plan, SEP-TAINABLE