PHILADELPHIA — The cost for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s smart fare system, Key, has swelled to $192.5 million — almost $70 million more than planned — the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Most of the increase will pay for annual maintenance and services for the 8-year-old project, but it also includes unexpected costs such as replacement of SEPTA’s 4,226 card readers to process transactions. Those 6-year-old devices are already obsolete. The upgrades are needed to allow passengers to pay for a ride with a credit card without using one of SEPTA’s Key cards.
Introduction of the Key system for Regional Rail commuter trains has been slow, the newspaper reports. Problems have included handheld card readers, used by onboard crew members, that would not hold a battery charge.
Great idea Braden, that’s what they had a few years ago when my wife and I were in the Boston area and rode the commuter train there.seemed to work well then.
How about going to an app based system…
Absolutely amazing. The ‘not invented here’ syndrome at its finest. Obviously, the folks at SEPTA never took a ride on Metro North or LIRR and simply purchased an identical system from the same vendor. Already fully tested, full proven, and fully working. But Nooooooo……