No problem. The MBTA installed equipment for its new Automated Fare Collection 2.0 technology to begin use this summer, on August 1. As the name suggests, this new technology would eliminate the need for city-specific payment cards and instead allow you to pay with a single tap.
Tap your phone or credit card to ride.
The automated fare collection offers convenience. The system solves many bottlenecks associated with riding Boston’s public transit, yet locals met it with ridicule and backlash.
Originally slated for completion by 2020 and then 2024, the Automated Fare Collection 2.0 is now several years behind schedule. Similar technologies existed in London for over ten years, and even the OMNY payment systems are now a staple of New York’s MTA.
Installing the contactless payment technology in Boston proved to take much longer than expected. The project itself stalled several years and exploded hundreds of millions over budget. The original price tag for the MBTA Automated Fare Collection 2.0 was $753 million.
Today, the rollout is expected to reach completion by 2026, with an estimated budget of $967 million, a nearly 30% budget increase.
Phase three rolls out this summer, so you might notice tap and go systems attached to existing MBTA fare gates. By 2025, the systems will be at all T and bus entrance points and by 2026 available at the Commuter Rail stations as well.
While Charlie Cards will no longer be necessary at that point with credit card and phone compatible payment options, the MBTA plans to roll out a new Charlie Card and group sales programs for those who prefer it.