Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) is gearing up to upgrade to its fareboxes in mid-May. The transit system plans to replace its aging SPX (formally known as GFI) CENTSaBILL fareboxes with new EZ Fareboxes designed by the Trapeze Group. The step will bring CAT into the 21st century by allowing the agency to move to smart card technology. Smart cards, which have been gaining traction across the country, will allow CAT to offer its passengers additional fare options.
“Our current fareboxes are based on a technology developed in the 1980s. As a result, our fare options have been limited to the capabilities of that fare collection system. With the upgrade, we will be able to offer passengers 24-Hour, 3-Day, 7-Day, 30-Day, 90-Day, and Annual Passes” said Westley Kern, Marketing Coordinator for CAT.
CAT’s fare structures will transition from a static calendar day approach to rolling time periods. Day passes which grant customers unlimited rides have historically expired at 11:59 PM on the day they were purchased. The new passes will be valid for a full twenty-four hours after their original purchase.
“When we were evaluating new fareboxes, we wanted solutions that would benefit our customers. The capability to transform the Day Pass into a 24-Hour Pass really helps our customers who work the 3rd shift. Rather than having to purchase two separate Day Passes, the customer now has the option to only purchase one”, Kern stated.
Multi-day passes (3-Day, 7-Day, 30-Day, 90-Day, or the Annual Pass) will also come with new conveniences. The smart card technology will allow CAT to program a fare on a card well before its intended use. Only when the card is used on board a bus for the first time will it begin to depreciate.
Purchase locations for the fare media will vary depending on which type of media the customer wants to purchase. Keeping in line with CAT’s current fare structure, passengers will continue to purchase single rides and Day Passes (rebranded as 24-Hour Passes) on board all CAT buses. All other fare options will be available for purchase at CAT’s Downtown Transit Station (DTS), located at 615 East Water Street.
As a promotion for the new fareboxes, CAT will provide the physical smart card free of charge for all customers who purchase a 30 Day, 90 Day or Annual Pass during the first month. After the first month, passengers will incur a $1.00 to $2.00 fee for new smart cards. This fee can be avoided if a costumer opts to “reload” their smart card. To reload, a customer simply brings their expired card back to the DTS to have more time added.
The systems go-live date is scheduled for May 18, 2015.
To help with the transition, CAT will host two public outreach meetings at CitySpace (100 5th St NE, Charlottesville, VA 22902). The first meeting will occur on Saturday, April 18th at 1:45 PM. The second meeting will occur on Monday, May 4th at 9:45 AM. Attendees will learn how the farebox works and what new fare options will be available. Both meetings will have a live demo farebox onsite that individuals can interact with.
Share
Contributors
