MBTA Wants To Go Cashless

BOSTON (CBS) -- The MBTA wants to change the way you pay to ride.

The T is looking to implement a fare collection system that is entirely cashless--which could mean fewer fare evasions, fewer delays as passengers pay fares, and mobile ticketing system-wide.

"The riders have made it very clear, they want some flexibility in the way we do fares," said MBTA board member Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "And to be able to do that, we're going to have to switch our system."

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First, the MBTA will upgrade their website to make the mobile experience easier for the 60 percent of riders who use their smartphones to check schedules and eventually purchase tickets.

Then, the transportation authority will begin taking bids on a cashless collection system. Tibbits-Nutt said that system could be expensive--other cities had successfully phased out cash fares, but the costs had varied.

The CTA in Chicago, she said, did not put out any money for their cashless system, instead doing a revenue share with another company in order to implement it. In contrast, London put out a couple hundred million dollars for their system.

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Tibbits-Nutt said there is also potential for new revenue from the system--especially if the T chooses to work with a private partner.

"Different transportation management associations, private shuttle carriers--if we could potentially put this system on their buses, and do some sort of revenue share, we might be able to capture some additional funds," said Tibbits-Nutt.

MBTA officials hope to get the system implemented no longer than two years after a vendor is selected. Tibbits-Nutt said they know they need to move fast.

"The longer we wait, the more amount of money we're going to have to put into maintaining this legacy system, which is costing us a ton of money," she said.

The T's IT department has three weeks to come up with a plan to put a new system out to bid.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports