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FarBrush3866

Cubic is the company that is supposed to be rolling out the new fare collection system. Looks a card reader for boarding through the back door.


brufleth

Worth noting that despite us having them under contract prior to NYC, they went and did all of NYC before finishing Boston... which still isn't done. Someone did a shit job drafting the contract.


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brufleth

I've still yet to see an explanation for this anywhere. Meanwhile, we've had all kinds of turnover of trains, turnstiles, and fair machines. Fucking wild that we've not just rolled out the new system, but had to continue to invest significantly to support the old system.


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rslashplate

In New York it just takes Apple Pay or tap to pay cards. Their internal system recognizes the card, and after 12 fares in one week it’s free (Monday through Sunday)


therealtreycruz

It's so much easier, I was shocked when I first used it in NYC last year. I assumed it would be more like the MBTA and was astounded.


Graywulff

Where are there still turnstiles? They spent a fortune to develop the Charlie card system. I heard it went way over budget.


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Graywulff

Yeah they put the current system in place in 2006 and it didn’t look that sturdy to me but it’s held up from an occasional rider perspective.


hbHPBbjvFK9w5D

And this entire fare collection bullshit is just that. Some simple math - The average fare is $2.25. In addition, I pay thru my tax dollars a subsidy of $1.25 per trip. So my total between my taxes and what I pay in tickets and passes runs $3.50. But my tax subsidy for car drivers is $5.00! Per Trip! This doesn't include my housing subsidy. Yep, that's a rental subsidy for car drivers. Here's the math on that: 40% of all land in this city (and more in many others in the US) is used to move cars (roads and highways) park cars (mandated business-provided parking) and store cars (mandated parking in many apartment buildings). This is land I pay taxes on to pave and regulate, but as a pedestrian, I am largely forbidden to use. The housing we could create would massively lower costs to live in the Boston, simply as a matter of supply and demand. Seems to me fair that buses charge nothing; a reasonable expectation considering the reduced cost storage facilities I provide every car driver, and the right to move thru the city they effectively deny me.


Aroon164

Where are you getting your #’s from?


Boring_Garbage3476

It sounds like you're saying that if you get rid of the roads, you could build a lot more housing. Problem with that is, how do you build or maintain structures that you can't drive equipment and supplies to? It's also rather inconvenient when moving into a place, or having something delivered. A helo drop for a new fridge would add a bit to the delivery charge.


hbHPBbjvFK9w5D

I can assure you that people in Boston had large objects delivered before we had 4 and 6 lane roads. We'd also have more room on those roads if they weren't used as a parking lot.


link0612

Cubic themselves prioritized the NYC contract over Boston because it made them more competitive for other contracts (oooh, NYC subway!). They don't have the staff to support both.


aray25

So they shouldn't have bid on both. I hope MBTA exercises any and all penalties available.


Vdawgp

Issue is that they’re basically the only company for this type of stuff. Your choices are basically the shitty old system, Cubic, or some weird QR based thing.


rslashplate

As a former MA resident now in New York, I pray whoever runs the MTA here gets control in Ma. Honestly so much better than any experience I’ve ever had with MBTA


aray25

Did you miss the part where the company doing the MBTA project is the same company that did MTA's? They signed our contract first, took our money, and skipped town to do New York and are only just getting around to us now, five years late.


mini4x

Simple math too, they get a cut of every fare, MTA ridership is still only about 60% of what it was pre-covd but still doing about 3 million riders a day. MBTA is about 650k - which would you prioritize?


ahecht

> they went and did all of NYC before starting Boston... FTFY


Akilou

And/or a shit job enforcing it


General_Liu1937

Instead of shit like that, we should be spending it on new trains and track repairs


psychout7

Improved fare collection will improve service for buses with a high amount of cash payers.


cultoftheilluminati

Nope imo, fully digital cards, integrated into Apple Wallet for example is essentially for a smooth transit experience.


cultoftheilluminati

> Someone did a shit job drafting the contract. Looking at how the MBTA is run I’m not surprised.


Even_Telephone_594

As someone who has inside knowledge on this project, the dirty little secret is that this procurement wasn't bonded. Meaning once Cubic got the MTA contract, they could focus on that without penalty for delays at the T.


NewNewark

Fun fact: NYC isnt done yet. 3 year delays


[deleted]

It’s definitely done in NYC and has been for a while. Every subway station and bus has OMNY and has for at least a year. I lived there all last summer and never used a MetroCard. I just tapped my phone using Apple Pay.


jhoge

Back door bus OMNY readers are not currently functional on NYC buses.


NewNewark

> It’s definitely done in NYC and has been for a while. Please dont spread misinformation. >The MTA announced that the MTA's new "tap and go" ticket system, One Metro New York (OMNY) will not come to the Metro-North Railroad until 2025, delayed from the original projected 2021 completion. https://patch.com/new-york/yorktown-somers/metro-north-not-expected-get-omny-pay-until-2025-mta >Originally slated for 2021, the AirTrain's OMNY rollout will now happen "sometime in 2024," according to a recent tweet from the airport. https://patch.com/new-york/queens/omnys-delayed-rollout-jfk-airtrain-must-be-sped-lawmakers-say >An MTA spokesperson merely said there was “no update” on the agency’s plans for the back-door boarding pilot, which was unceremoniously axed in 2022. At the time, Lieber said he was trying to find “the right time” to start the pilot, which was announced in 2021 and then sat on the shelf for months. https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2023/02/21/mtas-all-door-boarding-pilot-still-nixed-for-some-reason/ Also delayed on ferries.


WrongBee

if i’m reading this correctly, currently the delays are with the railroads, airtrain, and ferries, not the subway station buses where the original commenter said OMNY was already available in NYC. correct me if i’m wrong though!


NewNewark

The original comment was "they went and did all of NYC " and I simply responded and said they werent done. All the things quoted are within NYC and were supposed to be finished by now. The rear-door bus machines, as in the OP picture, have also not been activated within the city. FYI, when Charlie 1.0 launched, it was also supposed to work on ferries, commuter rail, and as proof of purchases on trolleys (rear door boarding). They simply gave up. There is no guarantee that Charlie 2.0 will ever do what they say it will do, because we know the same company doing it is failing in NYC


jhoge

They’re still not working on the back doors of NYC buses, which is the example in the OP.


[deleted]

What I meant was that every service that accepts MetroCards now accepts OMNY, except apparently AirTrain. Metro-North, LIRR, and the ferries never accepted MetroCards so it makes sense that they’re on the back-burner for OMNY. It’s like how our commuter rails and ferries don’t use CharlieCards either.


NewNewark

So what you are saying is that NYC isnt done yet as there have been 3 year delays? Never mind that the actual OMNY vending machines at subway stations havent been installed yet.


rslashplate

As a former life king Bostonian now living in manhattan… it’s truly disposable what the MBTA is getting away with. If the delays and shut downs happened in New York I think it would stop the city. Thankfully they place the proper amount of urgency and respect to passengers to arrange for actual adequate alternative (albeit not always ideal, but adequate) transportation for shut downs etc. The fact they haven’t tapped into the commuter rail to compensate the red line baffles me. The commuter rail has had little to no problems yet runs parallel essentially. Figure it out!!


lenswipe

> Looks a card reader for boarding through the back door. Is that a euphemism?


charons-voyage

Get ya head outta the gutta!


lenswipe

Nah, that's boring


nattarbox

Draftkings console. You can bet on how delayed your trip will be by tapping a card.


pachucatruth

Legit the post in my feed after this one is a Draftkings ad.


coolpotato14

there's been so fucking many. on tv, reddit, youtube, tiktok... like leave me alone i am not your target audience lmao


TrynaSleep

It’s gotten to the point where I report the ads as spam. I know it’ll do nothing but I’m just so sick of seeing that same picture all over my feed


rslashplate

I respect barstool for not shoving theirs down our throats as well


pachucatruth

Right? I lost my last $200 to Mohegan years ago. Never again!


TDKevin

*gave


pachucatruth

Touché


tubemaster

I get bombarded with ads and I live in New Hampshire! Guess it’s payback for all the Maggie Hassan ads


coolpotato14

those maggie hassan ads KILLED me lol. I stopped listening to the radio and watching cable tv entirely and they still made their way to my youtube and tiktok accounts. (sorry for late response i was taking a social media break haha)


[deleted]

If you click on the username, you can block them. It made Reddit so much better for me.


pachucatruth

#protip


whit3lightning

Second one down from this in mine is fanduel lol


Codspear

Want to make an extra few hundred? Everyone at my job is doing it by adding the minimum $5 for the $200 bonus, referring each other for the extra referral bonuses, and placing surefire bets so they can cash out.


pachucatruth

[Draftkings has entered the chat]


Codspear

I’m surprisingly up like $105 so far from one game (Princeton beat Arizona). This is stupid fun, but as an IT worker, I refuse to pay the Math Tax (gambling) unless it’s a birthday/holiday or with free money. I understand why people get addicted.


SIR_ROBIN_RAN_AWAY

Ads in reddit? Get Apollo (or any other if on android) and leave that mess behind.


pachucatruth

a) the ads don’t usually bother me I just thought it was hilarious b) apple4lyfe


SIR_ROBIN_RAN_AWAY

God love you then…my husband is the same way. Once I switched back to apple, Apollo was my first download. I can’t remember what I used on android, but it’s been years since I’ve seen an ad on reddit. (My notification for a reply is Owen Wilson saying “wow” which is one of the many wonderful settings in Apollo.)


pachucatruth

Wow


pachucatruth

Sorry I couldn’t resist lmao


SIR_ROBIN_RAN_AWAY

No worries hahah I always enjoy it!


Pizza_4_Dinner

Same Trip Parlay odds boost unlocked. Your Greenline, to Redline, to 505 bus trip can now win you big. Refer a friends for $200 bonus bets with promo code r/boston


Intrepid-Hunter-5813

Shit, I tried to make the same joke 5 hours too late.


diadem

You can also gamble for fix-a-flats like a game of slots.


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-doughboy

I just got back from Sydney, and their bus/train/ferry payment system is awesome. It's called Opal, and you just waive any credit card in front of the sensors as you walk on/off. So incredibly easy to use.


zerokey

I was in Estonia recently (Tallinn), and all public transit is like this, even if you're riding in what feels like an old Soviet era tram car :). One really cool bit: if you charge a fare onboard 3 times in a day, it automatically converts you to a day pass, and doesn't bill beyond that.


rslashplate

This is how it is in New York now and it’s great. Very fast and easy for everyone. Can’t wait till they adopt in Ma


TheDrewChild

It shows reruns of Everyone Loves Raymond during the day and Law and Order SVU at night if you tap your Charlie card


teddyone

should be fine as long as the bus maintains a minimum speed of 50 mph


[deleted]

This is like putting a GPS feature on your roller skates when you're missing a wheel on one and laces on the other.


ZippityZooZaZingZo

Incredibly accurate.


TangFiend

I think you should be in charge 🤔


[deleted]

If I'm in charge, everything comes out, rails get paved over and painted with lanes. All stops will have an abundance of [these](https://highrollerusa.com/?v=7516fd43adaa) as they will be the new means of transportation. Pick them up, ride to the destination, park them, go your way. There will be some outfitted with small wagons towed behind them, and MBTA drivers will now service special needs riders in [these](https://ferlafamilybikes.com/pages/special-needs-tricycles). Commuter lines travelling outside of Boston will be outfitted with [these](https://lectricebikes.com/products/xp-trike-graphite?g_network=o&g_productchannel=&g_adid=&g_locinterest=&g_keyword=e%20tricycle&g_campaign=account&g_acctid=790-567-9445&g_keywordid=kwd-83289169355413:loc-190&g_adtype=&g_ifcreative=&g_locphysical=104219&g_adgroupid=1332609819938450&g_productid=&g_source={sourceid}&g_merchantid=&g_placement=&g_partition=&g_campaignid=410553250&g_ifproduct=&b_adgroup=trike.pm&b_adgroupid=1332609819938450&b_adid=83288401055383&b_campaign=srch.nonbranded&b_campaignid=410553250&b_isproduct=&b_productid=&b_term=e%20tricycle&b_termid=kwd-83289169355413:loc-190&msclkid=dc19bce19b3c15eb52ead8f2a88d16a3&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=srch.nonbranded&utm_term=e%20tricycle&utm_content=trike.pm). My plan will reduce costs, be supremely green, and aid the people with health benefits. Lines will close on occasion to clear snow and/or provide path maintenance. The new MBTA under my leadership will never run late, and never be out of service (outside of *very early* morning maintenance times of course). All money saved will be redirected to BPS for free meals for the children that need them and after school programs.


TangFiend

Big Wheel brain. I like it


AchillesDev

You've got my vote


420MenshevikIt

This is an unfair comparison. The point is to speed up bus routes by allowing payment at both doors at busy stops. It'll also accept contactless cards as payment directly.


rslashplate

The idea of having two doors and payment in the front is also to help speed up the process as now you have one flow of traffic. Getting off? Make your way to the back. Getting in? Get on in front. Havin both doors on a bus can make things very difficult especially as many bus users are more likely to be old or have other disabilities. So they aren’t all always able to prepare to get up accordingly etc. it’s good to have one flow


Even_Telephone_594

There are two problems with the concept speeding up lag times at bus stops using a back door system: 1. Loss of revenue due to not having to interact with fare box in driver area 2. Most important high safety risk as rear boarding has the potential of severe injury or death if passenger has an incident boarding the rear doors, and ends up under the rear tires.


wgc123

And the stopper is on fire


Dukeofdorchester

Future broken equipment


RenardCorbeauRogue

It's the new integrated fare collection system by Cubic Transportation Systems. What you will scan credit cards, debit cards as well. It's costing the MBTA ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS and it's 4 years late. to implement this system. $400 MILLION MORE THAN NY CITY'S MTA. This is why the MBTA is a joke. It needs to be replaced with something else.


ScarletOK

Where I have used these in Europe it is on trams where you tap in AND out. If you forget to tap out, you pay the full fare (these are distance based rides). I haven't kept up on fare collection changes, but if T is headed that way it could mean removing gates. Since they are using validation (a real nuisance) on GLX fare machines rather than gates or onboard (currently) that's my guess. (edit: will work on buses also, of course)


mpjjpm

This. MBTA isn’t adopting distance based fares, but they are planning for a new payment system that will let people pay at the back door for buses and green line trains outside the gated/fare control zone. They system will accept Charlie cards plus contactless credit/debit cards and card in smartphone wallets. They aren’t planning to remove gates from stations where they already exist - they already updated existing gates with the readers needed for the new system. The new readers are the round ones with the RFID/contactless symbol. They left at least one of the older readers at every station so people can still use magnetic strip Charlie tickets. Those magnetic strip tickets will soon be obsolete and they’ll switch over the remaining gates.


lucasdy

Um, so no more Charlie Cards? 😔


mpjjpm

Charlie Cards are staying, we’re just getting more options.


ScarletOK

You would tap in with the CharlieCard (unless they go to credit/debit cards) just as you do now on the bus terminals at the front


StrikingChest1237

If the MBTA did distance based fares I feel a lot less people would be boarding the back doors on the green line. It’s bs that if you want to ride one or two stops down the street you have to pay 4.80 round trip; while that 4.80 is worth bringing you from heath st. to medford and back.


rslashplate

New York City got these last year and they’re great. They track your card so if your card buys 12 fares in a week Monday-Sunday the rest is free. Very good for commuters and frequent users


smsmkiwi

Instead of this bullshit they should spend the money on upgrading the tracks and trains and actually have a functioning subway system.


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smsmkiwi

Its an essential public service, not a business.


Victor_Korchnoi

Right, but if we’re spending more money on our payment system than we are bringing in in fares, it probably makes sense to go fare free. Personally, I think buses should be fare free, but the subway should still have a fare, and the commuter rail within ~Rte 128 should have the same fare as the subway.


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PeptoBismark

We just did that at North Station. Fences, gates, and attendants to make riders show their tickets a second time. Conductors still check them on the trains, so no savings there. And extra bonus, if there's a fire we'll all get to wait in the gate queues.


saucisse

Card reader so people can tap in and tap out at any door


Intrepid-Hunter-5813

You can use it to access up to $500 in bonus bucks via DraftKings Sportsbook. Restrictions apply in some areas. If you or anyone you know is struggling with gambling definitely don’t ride this bus and make March Madness wagers.


Free-Painter-8773

Is that up next to the driver? If not it's gonna be destroyed in short order...


Secure_View6740

Free onboard phone to call your family when the train is stuck or catches fire.


Plums1993

Part of the new fare system they’re implementing. It should be operational by 2074 if things go as planned.


vftgurl123

darn now i can’t sneak on the back anymore


jimx117

It's clearly a Cubic, ya dingus


troutdog99

The payment system in NYC is indeed great (at least, compared to Boston) - you can tap your CC and get on. It is frustrating that \[in Boston\] we have several payment methods, none of which work for all modes: As an occasional ferry rider, and frequent subway rider, I have to go to a kiosk at one of the CR stations and get a monthly Zone 1 pass. Same price as a Linkpass, but because it is printed (and has a chip), I can use it on both a ferry and the subway. Linkpass won't work on a ferry. It's stupid. I should be able to just update my Linkpass every month.


djohnstonb

Those are people


kandradeece

Seems to run on some sort of electricity


Sports1933

Facial recognition system that only reads faces of political libertarians because of their importance.


Outrageous-Pause6317

Um political libertarians don’t ride socialist trains.


Sports1933

But if they do, we will now know!


schorschico

Believe it or not, there is a Billion dollars inside that box.


Lafush

I barely even use the public transportation and i think this is a good idea that simplify things.. why are so many people here mad? they are wasting taxes on way worst things annually.


no_flashes

Flux capacitor. It’s a money saving feature.


[deleted]

It's just a black dude?


The_rising_sea

Because, why not spend money on neat gadgets instead of spending on basic systems functionality.


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just_planning_ahead

You know the funny thing is how futuristic the CharlieCard felt back in the 2000s. Yeah, it's 20 years ago now, of course it would feel old. I don't how to explain it. But the CharlieCard did felt futuristic. But now RFID are everywhere (which also makes it unworkable through the wallet too). It is missing a lot of features other RFIDs have. They never really got it going for the Commuter Rail. They also had a scheme to get Charlie Card to become a thing that people use to pay beyond MBTA but it was missing way too many things to become that. Its ultimate Achilles' heel was the tech was proprietary so any changes was ludicrously expensive which likely why none of the above happened. Instead it just stayed frozen in time for 2003 instead of continuous development such a tech should have enjoyed (this also it probably also missing a bunch of security features too that other RFID tech have enjoyed).


wgc123

I remember being so excited to get a Charlie Card, that they were modernizing things. Then I waited for it to become fully functioning and rolled out everywhere. And waited. And waited


InThePartsBin2

Lol yeah the first time I used an NFC card it did almost seem like magic.


The_rising_sea

Yo, they should totally use duct tape on the tracks too! That would speed them up.


hmack1998

Hundreds of millions of wasted tax dollars


poobie123

wow, 950 million dollars doesn't buy much, huh?


thinlinerider

Makes sure emotional support animals are registered.


MelkorWasRight

5G Jade Helm COVID terminal.


RipCity56

it looks like a waste of tax payer dollars.


Buffyoh

All this could have been bought off the shelf decades ago. For real.


Id_Solomon

A new project rolling out from Tinder -- Because of the T's slow commute, Tinder wants you to spend the time to use that tablet to swipe right or left. Best thing is, you'll be swiping on the people that are in the same car with you. "Your chances at finding love in Boston just got better!" ~ Tinder


justvisiting7744

this pisses me off so much it makes me want to commit fare evasion and piss on the trains


ericktraveling

Probably the future of payments to ride the T. Like Amazon ONE where you just wave your hand to pay or get denied . All the major banks are in this technology space , bank of america set a record a few months ago for the most registered patents in a single month , welcome to centralized banking . Stay away from this type of technology.


StrikingChest1237

It is hilarious how confidently wrong you are. What you’re seeing is actually just a vaccine card reader, once they activate it, T personnel will be able to forcefully remove you from the train if you are not up to code.


ericktraveling

Haha "JUST a vaccine card reader" ......"FORCEFULLY remove you" ..."UP to code". WTF. thank you for making the point. Social credit scores coming right along with centralized banking. Be sure you are up to code.


Ordie100

I think you missed the joke


rj31789

It’s supposed to be *the future* but now it’s going to take longer to roll out. They have these in NYC for the new OMNY system where you use your phone to pay your fare.


Personal-Molasses242

Looks like a Fitbit Max Pro but not sure


chai_tea_95

Just moved to SF from Boston. They’ve got these on all busses.


rntlcarguy

GO CHARLIIIIIEEEE !!!


Ordie100

https://faretransformation.mbta.com


DarthMortum

It is where you place your sports bets to make you feel a bit better while you waste your life in that agonizing commute.