Inquirer: SEPTA delays ‘smart card’ fare system

Inquirer: SEPTA delays ‘smart card’ fare system

Staff writer Paul Nussbaum reports that SEPTA recently extended the deadline for contract proposals for the design and construction of a new electronic “smart card” fare collection system until May.  The system would replace the tokens, tickets, and magnetic-stripe cards that passengers currently use with a card that a customer could swipe at any SEPTA station.

SEPTA said it will spend about $2.5 million to install necessary electrical and communication equipment on station platforms to prepare for the new system, and unofficial cost estimates for complete system installation have ranged as high as $100 million. 

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