ACS Helps Denver Simplify Transit Service with Smart Card Ticketing System

Transit riders in the Regional Transportation District (RTD) of Denver will soon notice a faster, more efficient and green experience as the city implements an advanced fare collection system with Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS), A Xerox Company (NYSE: XRX).

As part of a four-year, $15 million contract with ACS, public transportation users will receive smart cards free of cost from the city, load them with a pre-paid amount, and simply wave the smart card in front of a scanner when boarding for a contactless ticket entry. The new system consolidates the different fare options now used by the RTD and will improve the accuracy, cost and efficiency of revenue collection while also tracking data on ridership and service use.

“The RTD is one of the most vibrant transportation agencies in the nation with a growing network of rail, bus, and paratransit services,” said Scott Reed, assistant general manager, Communications, RTD of Denver. “With the smart card solution we’re improving the service we provide and attracting new customers, as well as increasing revenue through more precise fare collection and making public transit attractive to more customers.”

The smart card implementation is expected to begin in early to mid-2011 and will initially be installed in 350 buses serving approximately 10,000 riders in the Boulder, Colo. area. ACS will equip the RTD with processing and data collection equipment including smart card readers, wireless communications and central data processing equipment.

“The beauty of the smart card solution is that it significantly benefits both the riders and the city,” said Dave Amoriell, group president of Transportation Solutions, ACS. “Denver wanted to improve the accuracy of fare collection at the point of sale, collect and analyze fare collection data in a timely fashion, and reduce its overall costs. For riders, paying fares will be more convenient and boarding time will be reduced.”

ACS is the largest provider of public transportation technology services worldwide, supporting governments in 30 countries. The company’s Transportation Solutions Group provides support ranging from fare collection on various bus and rail routes and processing more than a million public transport tickets daily to toll solutions on some of the busiest highways by processing more than three billion tolls every year. ACS enables its clients to address traffic and congestion challenges by deploying end-to-end technology solutions that advance the movement of goods and services as well as millions of people every day.