CTA approves contract for new integrated bus farebox system

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has announced that the Chicago Transit Board has approved a contract to develop and implement a new integrated farebox system on all its buses. The new fareboxes are part of the authority’s ongoing efforts to modernise customer tools and offer seamless fare payment options for all riders.

CTA’s current fareboxes are more than 30 years old, and after decades of heavy use, the existing farebox system is outdated, deteriorating and increasingly difficult to maintain. By replacing the old equipment that is prone to defects, CTA will improve the reliability of its services as there will be fewer instances in which buses are delayed or pulled from service.

“While many are eager to move to a cashless society, these new fareboxes will allow CTA to maintain the critically important and equitable cash fare option for riders. More than nine million rides are paid for with cash each year,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “All of our riders deserve payment options that meet their needs. This new farebox system will serve to modernise our cash fare collections, and also complement the continuous upgrades we’re making to our Ventra system.”

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The new fareboxes will feature an ergonomic, modern, accessible design coupled with improved back-end reporting systems, which will allow for seamless integration with other on-board bus operating systems, providing for more efficient operations at CTA’s bus garages.

These new fareboxes are the latest in a series of innovations that CTA has launched to modernise and improve its fare collection systems and customer engagement tools, including the new, fully re-designed Ventra app, Ventra Cards on iPhone, Apple Watch and Google Pay, Express Vending Machines, portable fareboxes and much more.