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Capital and Strategic Planning Committee Item IV - A April 12, 2018 Fare Collection Modernization Program Update Page 40 of 76
Capital and Strategic Planning Committee
Item IV - A
April 12, 2018
Fare Collection Modernization Program Update
Page 40 of 76
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Board Action/Information Summary
Action Information MEAD Number: 201980
Resolution: Yes No
TITLE:
Fare Collection Modernization Program Update
PRESENTATION SUMMARY:
This presentation will provide an overview of all actions to maintain and update the farecollection system.
PURPOSE:
The Board will be informed of the status of the fare collection modernization program.
DESCRIPTION:
The fare payment system includes customer facing equipment such as faregates, farevendors, bus fareboxes, and the complex software systems to operate the system. Majorsystem elements including faregates, fare vendors and fare boxes are designed with a15-year life and many components have well exceeded their design life. Work on the fare system modernization program is underway on a two track approach. First is to strategically reinvest in maintaining current systems to provide high operationalreliability; and the second is to prepare for replacement faregates, fare vendors, busfareboxes, and software.
Key Highlights:
At its conclusion, the fare system modernization program will provide:
An improved customer experience for commuters and visitorsSupport a ‘bring your own device’ approach to fare paymentReduce expense of operations and maintenance for the system
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Background and History:
Fare payment is the first touch point for the customer experience and its ease ofuse, reliability and accuracy are key. Customers need a fare system that isintuitive to understand and easy to use. WMATA needs to have a system that hashigh reliability, high accuracy and is economical to operate.
The series of strategic investments will help WMATA deliver a system that willprovide a greater ease of use and the ability afford the customer to enjoy thebenefits of self-directed customer service, literally meeting the customer wherethey are, anywhere, anytime.
Discussion:
The programmed investments will achieve:
Improved system reliability for WMATA’s customers including acontemporary user interface that will be intuitive and flexible to use; andImproved operations and system uptime to reduce expense of maintainingthe system while reducing the potential for fare evasion.
Customers will have choices of where and when to buy their fare beyond theirdesktop computer. They will be able to do it at their convenience on their mobiledevice using a well defined APP; or, if they choose, new fare vendors will havecontemporary, intuitive and easy to use screens and prompts to make farepurchases. Farevendors will be designed to accept cash but debit/credit onlymachines will be purchased reducing the size of the machine footprint. Exit faremachines will be equipped to accept debit/credit cards in addition to cash.Faregates will have crisp and clear direction and message signs and new gatingmechanisms will move passengers quickly and smoothly. WMATA will see improvements to the bottom line with improved system uptime ata lower cost to operate. Components will be new and not suffer fromobsolescence experienced today. The system will be designed to reduce theopportunity for fare evasion through tighter barrier controls and better reportingcapability for enforcement.
FUNDING IMPACT:
This is an information briefing with no Board actions required. Project Manager: Gregory Garback
ProjectDepartment/Office: Capital Planning and Programming (CPPM)
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TIMELINE:
Previous Actions Issue procurement actions to support program; e.g., newfaregate procurement.
Anticipated actionsafter presentation Continue to periodically report to the Committee on actions
RECOMMENDATION:
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Fare Collection ModernizationProgram Update
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Capital and Strategic Planning CommitteeApril 12, 2018
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Purpose
• Fare Collection Program Update
• Last update September 2016• New Electronic Payment Program (NEPP) concept ahead of
marketplace
• 2016 Approach:• Maintain State of Good Repair• Ensure readiness to leverage more advanced marketplace
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• State of Good Repair (SOGR) Underway– Extending life of fareboxes– Improving faregate operations– Maintaining fare vendors– Necessary improvements to back-end system
• Modernization initiatives underway– Mobile APP– New Faregates
• Modernization initiatives upcoming– New Fareboxes– New Fare Vending Machines – New Back-Office System
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Actions Underway
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Fareboxes and Faregates
Back-Office System
Fare Vending
Machines
Mobile and Expanded Network
Strategic Roadmap
A better experience at a lower cost to operate
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Roadmap Phases
Phase 1Underway
Phase 22019 - 2020
Phase 32021
• State of Good Repair (SOGR) for: Fareboxes - DCUFaregate infrastructureFare Vending MachinesBack-Office System
• Mobile APP
• Procure and install new Faregates
• Initiate design of new vendors
• Complete Faregate installation
• Procure and install new Fareboxes
• Procure new vendors
• Procure new Back-Office software system
• Complete implementation of new Back-Office software system
• Complete Fare Vendor installation
• Move fully to de-centralized, self-service model
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Maintain Close Coordination w ith Regional PartnersPage 48 of 76
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SOGR - Farebox Reliability
• 15+ years old Fareboxes• New Driver Control Unit (DCU)
– Farebox motherboard is obsolete and failing– Operations not impacted but not sustainable– Improved operations; extends useful life– Adequate boards to support regional needs
• Timetable:– Field testing in May/June 2018– Deployment starts in January 2019
Close Coordination w ith Regional Partners Page 49 of 76
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SOGR - Faregate Reliability
• 25+ years old Faregates• Original Power and Communications• Timetable:
– New SmarTrip targets on gates• Improve performance• Targets 75% complete; finish Summer 2018
– New Power and Communications Infrastructure• CAT 6 communications cable• Update power cables, where required• New underfloor duct, where required• 75% complete; finish by end of 2018
Preparation for New Faregates Page 50 of 76
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SOGR - Fare Vendor Reliability
• 25+ years old Fare Vending Machines• More debit-credit transactions than cash today• Shift to web/auto-load
• Complete coin cylinder replacement• 75% complete
• Component obsolescence review underway
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• Create self-service experience in mobile APP– Features include:
• Trip planning• Way finding• Fare payments
– More consistent information– Leverages current infrastructure– Accepted where SmarTrip is today
• Phased Delivery– APP starting in December 2018– Fare payments in 2019
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Modernization - Mobile Initiative
Self-directed Customer Service; Anywhere, AnytimePage 52 of 76
Modernization - Faregates
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• New Faregates, system-wide– Procurement issued March 2018– Bi-parting leaves or saloon style door barriers– Approximately 900 aisles; regular and ADA
• Solution must be compatible with current system– Zero customer transition
January
2018
Design
Procure
TestManufacture
Deploy
January
2019
June
2020
JanuaryJune
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Modernization - Fareboxes
• Develop requirements with regional partners• Procure on behalf of region
– Contract options for regional partners
• Integrate with other on-board systems– Automated Vehicle Location (AVL)
Close Coordination w ith Regional Partners
2018
Set Requirements
Manufacture
Deploy
June January
2019
June
2020
January
Procure
June
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Modernization - Fare Vendors
• Development starts 2019
• Desired Characteristics– Easy and intuitive to operate
– Large screens; easily programmable
– Exit fares to accept debit/credit cards
– Smaller footprint for debit/credit only machines
– Optimize number of machines to customer demand
January
DesignSet Requirements
Procure
June January
2019
June
2021
January
2020
Manufacture and Deploy
Less is More
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Modernization – Back-Office
• 10+ years old Back-Office Fare System Software– Supports our needs today for passes and stored value
– Supports grace period and rush hour promise initiatives
• Maintained by OEM Supplier– Regional Software Maintenance Agreement (RSMA)
– Third-party software updates – WebLogic
January
2019
Procure
Set Requirements
Design and DevelopTest
June January
2020
June
2021
January
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Results
• Achieve steady state for fare collection
• Improve customer experience; expand payment options
• Reduce reliance on WMATA equipment and systems for fares
• Reduce operations and maintenance expense
• Reduce potential for fare evasion
• Grow and support SmarTrip regional alliance
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Questions?
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