New Fareboxes Coming To SEPTA

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New Fareboxes Coming To SEPTA; Phase 1 of Collection Overhaul?
Topic Started: Jul 17 2009, 10:41 PM (326 Views)
Mark	Jul 17 2009, 10:41 PM Post #1
Advanced Transit Fan Posts: 436 Group: Members Member #6 Joined: February 18, 2005	According to the METRO newspaper, SEPTA will be replacing their current bus/trolley fareboxes with new fareboxes next year. The new boxes will be able to be adapted to whatever type of fare collection smart card system SEPTA chooses in the future. The current fareboxes are almost 20 years old and are due for replacement. It seems that the fareboxes will be similar to the new fareboxes on DART First State buses. These boxes have the capability to accept smart cards in the future. Edited by Mark, Jul 18 2009, 10:10 AM.



Tritransit Area	Jul 18 2009, 06:15 AM Post #2
Transit Enthusiast Posts: 2,242 Group: Admin Member #4 Joined: February 17, 2005	Interesting. I'd be disappointed if they were like DART's - I really don't like those fareboxes.



philabob1	Jul 18 2009, 08:38 AM Post #3
Advanced Transit Fan Posts: 463 Group: Members Member #640 Joined: June 15, 2007	Mark Jul 17 2009, 10:41 PM According to the METRO newspaper, SEPTA will be replacing their current bus/trolley fareboxes with new fareboxes next year. The new boxes will be able to be adapted to whatever type of fare collection smart card system SEPTA chooses in the future. The current fareboxes are almost 20 years old and are due for replacement. It seems that the fareboxeswill be similar to the new fareboxes on DART First State buses. These boxes have the capability to accept smart cards in the future. Wonder if this will mean the end of transfers as we know them as well. DART's fareboxes can print out tickets, daily passes, etc, so SEPTA's may be able to print transfer tickets. Since they're mag-stripped as well, that would cut down on transfer abuse.



IkarusFan	Jul 18 2009, 10:59 PM Post #4
Let The Legacy of The Bricks Live On!!! Posts: 182 Group: Members Member #2,628 Joined: June 19, 2008	We're getting those GenFare Odyssey fareboxes? Oh God. No.



Mr. Transit	Jul 18 2009, 11:14 PM Post #5
Transit Fan Posts: 107 Group: Members Member #2,280 Joined: February 16, 2008	No, SEPTA isn't necessarily getting GFI Odessey fareboxes...SEPTA hasn't awarded a contract for them. They recently extended rfps for them until August 18th. They hopefully will award it by the end of this year.



IkarusFan	Jul 19 2009, 05:41 PM Post #6
Let The Legacy of The Bricks Live On!!! Posts: 182 Group: Members Member #2,628 Joined: June 19, 2008	Mr. Transit Jul 18 2009, 11:14 PM No, SEPTA isn't necessarily getting GFI Odessey fareboxes...SEPTA hasn't awarded a contract for them. They recently extended rfps for them until August 18th. They hopefully will award it by the end of this year. Whew! I was about to say!!! The current GenFare Cents-A-Bill seems like it still works well.



Tritransit Area	Jul 20 2009, 09:41 AM Post #7
Transit Enthusiast Posts: 2,242 Group: Admin Member #4 Joined: February 17, 2005	Can someone please find a link to the aformentioned article? I'm having difficulty finding it. I want to check some things out, but considering the fact that Metro is telling readers that the 15 trolley runs from 63rd and Malvern to Center City, I'm questioning the credibility. In short, there are some inaccuracies in the article if things haven't changed. EDIT: Just as I thought, but while the article wasn't exactly inaccurate, the perception that it brought may be. Remember, guys - just because you are getting an upgrade doesn't necessarily mean that the whole thing will be new. After all, there are PCCs from the year 1947 that are running today that were "upgraded". Here's a link to the article, btw: http://www.readmetro.com/show/en/Philadelphia/20090717/1/5/# Edited by Tritransit Area, Jul 20 2009, 09:54 AM.



Nabi60SFW9620	Jul 20 2009, 09:55 AM Post #8
Foamer Posts: 2,129 Group: Members Member #10 Joined: February 21, 2005	If SEPTA does replace all fare boxes with Gen Fare Odyssey fare boxes they should also consider changing out the fare gates at all MFL and BSL stations. As well as Subway surface Trolley stations. As well as install ticket machines at those stops. And if the next fare system is the Gen Fare Odyssey then drivers will no longer need to carry hole punchers since the Odyssey has a printing feature passengers can just insert the 8 trip passes and have the trip it was used for posted on the ticket. As well as the date of the first use. So then people will be unable to try and phony and use their own hole puncher to clip the current day. Since some SEPTA employees enforce that some do not care. I had 2 confront me when a MFL attendant clipped June 12th and June 14th on my 8 trip ticket last year on my first visit. Either that attendant works at another station or he no longer works for SEPTA. Since I did file a complaint about that to the SEPTA.



ctrabs74	Jul 20 2009, 04:13 PM Post #9
Advanced Transit Fan Posts: 710 Group: Members Member #7 Joined: February 20, 2005	These are not new fareboxes that SEPTA is buying. According to the agenda for this week's SEPTA Board meeting: "(Award of contract) [t]o GFI/Genfare, Inc., for the upgrade of existing fareboxes used to collect cash on board SEPTA buses and trolleys and support deployment of New Payment Technology equipment, to be performed over a period of 30 months commecning to September 1, 2009 ... for a total contract amount not to exceed $7,692,032.70." Metro's credibility takes yet another blow...



Tritransit Area	Jul 20 2009, 04:21 PM Post #10
Transit Enthusiast Posts: 2,242 Group: Admin Member #4 Joined: February 17, 2005	Thanks for the details. Interesting (and fitting) that GFI will upgrade the boxes. They are surely at the forefront of "smart card" technology, and, of course, are the manufacturers of the boxes. The MFL/BSL gates are supposed to retain the "shell" but would be upgraded as well. When Mark mentioned the article, I was concerned that they changed their mind towards a more expensive alternative. Glad to see that they haven't!



IkarusFan	Jul 20 2009, 09:32 PM Post #11
Let The Legacy of The Bricks Live On!!! Posts: 182 Group: Members Member #2,628 Joined: June 19, 2008	Tritransit Area Jul 20 2009, 04:21 PM Thanks for the details. Interesting (and fitting) that GFI will upgrade the boxes. They are surely at the forefront of "smart card" technology, and, of course, are the manufacturers of the boxes. The MFL/BSL gates are supposed to retain the "shell" but would be upgraded as well. When Mark mentioned the article, I was concerned that they changed their mind towards a more expensive alternative. Glad to see that they haven't! Speaking of those MFSE/BSS gates, the "shell" kinda dates back to around 1985/86 but they added the led screen in 1989-91, then they added the TransPass/TrailPass sliders around 1994 in time of the delivery of the current GenFare Cents-A-Bill (Mark II) fareboxes to replace the original 1982 Duncan/GenFare Cents-A-Bill fareboxes (Mark I).



Nabi60SFW9620	Jul 23 2009, 05:24 PM Post #12
Foamer Posts: 2,129 Group: Members Member #10 Joined: February 21, 2005	Eventually SEPTA will have the Gen Fare Odyssey Fare box on buses. But right now I dont think its going to happen.



Van2006ko	Jul 23 2009, 05:42 PM Post #13
Foamer Posts: 2,528 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: February 16, 2005	Nabi60SFW9620 Jul 23 2009, 05:24 PM Eventually SEPTA will have the Gen Fare Odyssey Fare box on buses. But right now I dont think its going to happen. No, the RFPs were to upgrade the "existing" GFI fareboxes! As someone has mentioned in the post above Quote: Thanks for the details. Interesting (and fitting) that GFI will upgrade the boxes. They are surely at the forefront of "smart card" technology, and, of course, are the manufacturers of the boxes.



leopapi	Sep 1 2009, 12:34 AM Post #14
New Rider Posts: 5 Group: Members Member #2,712 Joined: July 30, 2009	I'm not sure the kind of fare boxes they have on the NYC MTA buses, but they don't accept dollar bills.. I guess it's a ploy to make everyone get a Metro Card.. They should do the same in Philly.. This way people don't hold up the line with their crusty dollar bills, lol.. :D



Tritransit Area	Sep 1 2009, 02:14 PM Post #15
Transit Enthusiast Posts: 2,242 Group: Admin Member #4 Joined: February 17, 2005	With the smart cards, hopefully even less people will use dollar bills. I mean, I'd rather have someone slow down the line with crusty bills then JAM the machine paying a $2+ fare in change. The nice thing about our machines is that they accept dollar bills in any condition.



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