Revenue Mechanical Technician Bee Her, above, is among those installing new fareboxes.
More of Metro Transit's buses are being outfitted with new and improved fareboxes.
To date, the new fareboxes have been installed on nearly 100 buses, replacing 25-year-old technology. By the end of 2020, the new fareboxes will be installed on another 100 buses; within the decade, about 70% of the fleet will be upgraded.
The new fareboxes allow customers to swipe transfer tickets, reducing the possibility that tickets get stuck in the machine. They also give operators more ability to position the controls, have a brighter, easier-to-use display and can automatically scan and validate bills.
Those features will make boarding more efficient and reduce ongoing maintenance needs. Existing fareboxes have many moving parts, making upkeep a challenge (because parts for the older fareboxes are hard to come by, equipment that is being removed will be salvaged and repurposed during the transition).
In the future, the new fareboxes may also be able to accept credit cards or Go-To Cards, which are now read by a separate piece of equipment.
About two-thirds of customers pay their fares with a Go-To Card or with a mobile ticket purchased through Metro Transit's app. Even so, cash remains an important and enduring form of fare payment. Metro Transit accepts about $16 million in cash and tokens annually.
Explore your fare payment options
Metro Transit offers multiple fare payment options and pass programs to make it easier and more economical to pay your fare. Learn more about how to pay your fare at metrotransit.org/fares.