By Emma Herrod
Public transportation users in the greater Philadelphia and Seattle regions will soon be able to pay for their fares using their contactless bank card or NFC device.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has awarded a US$211m contract to Cubic Transportation Systems to design, install and operate a contactless, digital public transport ticketing system for five counties in the Greater Philadelphia area.
The SEPTA Key 2.0 system will provide new functionality compared with the existing contactless smart card-based transport ticketing system, including virtual cards to support equity-focused fare policies. It will also be more reliable and easier for customers to use, according to SEPTA. The transport authority’s website, mobile application and call centre are to be enhanced as well.
“SEPTA’s current fare payment system is outdated and overdue for an upgrade. It was designed more than a decade ago, and as this technology continues to rapidly evolve, SEPTA must make this critical investment now,” says Kenneth E Lawrence Jr, Board Chair, SEPTA.
The contract award follows SEPTA’s trial of an open loop contactless fare payment system enabling passengers to pay for their journeys with their physical or digital bank card. The system is due to be fully operational in 2029.
On the other side of the US, meanwhile, travellers in Seattle and the wider area covered by the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority are a step closer to being able to tap to pay with their contactless bank card.
The Joint Board of the One Regional Card for All (ORCA) public transport system has approved a move to incorporate Tap to Pay on iPhone and NFC as the next step in the myORCA contactless transport ticketing solution that launched in 2022.
Travellers are already able to store a digital version of their myORCA travel card on an Android device. The new open payments system will allow travellers to use their contactless bank card to pay their fares.
The system will be implemented by systems contractor INIT ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup when the city will host six matches.
