Cubic Transportation Systems

“Caltrain is running its service on 100% renewable energy and is returning nearly a quarter of that energy to the grid,” said Michelle Bouchard, Caltrain Executive Director, on Jan. 23. “The new electric fleet is delivering on its promise of state-of-the-art service, living up to our mission of providing sustainable transportation that enhances quality of life for everyone.” (Caltrain Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Caltrain, MTA Metro-North, Denver RTD, Sound Transit, SEPTA

Caltrain announces that its electric fleet “is more efficient than expected.” Also, Metro-North Railroad’s on-time performance hits an all-time high; Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) and BNSF Railway police departments formalize a partnership; Seattle’s Sound Transit works to solve light rail “network reliability issues”; and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) awards a $211 million contract for the design, installation and operation of its new fare payment system.

MBTA will begin accepting contactless payments onboard Green Line and Mattapan Line trolleys as well as buses, and at all gated subway stations beginning Aug. 1. (Photograph Courtesy of MBTA)

Transit Briefs: MBTA, BART

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will next month debut contactless payments onboard Green Line and Mattapan Line trolleys as well as buses and at subway fare gates, and has officially opened the Worcester Union Commuter Rail Station’s center platform. Also, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) releases a report detailing its role in the region.

Trinity Metro was joined by representatives of the Federal Transit Administration, Tarrant County Commissioners Court, Fort Worth City Council and other leaders and stakeholders across North Texas to open the Trinity Lakes Station for Trinity Railway Express. Trinity Metro President and CEO Richard Andreski (second from left) was in attendance. (Trinity Metro Photograph)

Transit Briefs: LACMTA, MBTA, Metro Transit, SEPTA, Trinity Metro

The Final Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) is now available for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) planned 14.5-mile light rail line between Los Angeles and the city of Artesia, Calif. Also, the Massachusetts House budget is slated to include “record” funding for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA); Metro Transit of Minneapolis-St. Paul is upgrading its contactless fare system; Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) officially opens the rebuilt and renamed Drexel Station at 30th Street and unveils new fare gate pilot program; and Trinity Metro hosts a grand-opening event for the new Trinity Railway Express station in Fort Worth, Tex.

MUNI Steps Up Customer Service, Fare Collection

San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) is phasing in fare inspection. While fare collection has not stopped during COVID-19, inspectors are returning to service this fall and becoming part of a larger ambassador program to provide customer assistance. This includes reminding riders that masks are required and to maintain physical distance. They will ultimately conduct fare inspection later this year, including citation issuance. MUNI is also implementing an upgraded Customer Information System from Cubic Transportation Systems that will use digital signage and an updated mobile app to provide real-time information, including estimates on vehicle occupancy.

NYMTA to “Supplier’s 11”: You’re “In Jeopardy”

New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye sent warning letters to MTA’s 11 largest suppliers on Sept. 17. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacted a horrific toll in human, social and economic terms across the nation,” he noted in the letters. “I am writing to alert you that because of this financial devastation, many current and all future contracts are in jeopardy without an injection of $12 billion in emergency federal aid.”

LA Metro’s Touchless TAP App

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) on Sept. 4 extended functionality of its regional Transit Access Pass (TAP) automatic fare collection (AFC) card to the iPhone and Apple Watch, describing it as “a new and safer way to pay transit fare that allows Metro and 25 TAP transit agencies in L.A. County to offer easy, contactless bus and rail fare payment to riders.”

WMATA: “Apple Tap and Ride”

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) have enabled the agency’s SmarTrip AFC (automated fare collection) system on the iPhone and Apple Watch, “giving transit riders a contactless way to pay for their journeys on trains and buses in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia. In addition, Cubic and WMATA have launched a SmarTrip app, “the first mobile app for the region.”

Cubic Reveals Public Transit Loyalty Program

Cubic Corporation’s Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) business division launched Cubic Interactive, a loyalty rewards platform that enables transit agencies and authorities to incentivize travel on public transportation.

New York MTA launches OMNY pilot

More than 25 years after it began transitioning its fare payment system from traditional metal tokens to the MetroCard, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has launched OMNY, its new contactless smartcard system, with a pilot program on the New York City Transit (NYCT) Lexington Avenue (4-5-6) subway and buses on Staten Island. The public pilot kicked off May 31 at the Bowling Green station in Lower Manhattan.

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