CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — New fareboxes are being tested on some Chicago buses.
The Chicago Transit Authority announced it has begun testing new fareboxes on 100 buses, before gradually implementing them on the entire fleet.
The current fareboxes, in use for over 30 years, are being replaced with a more modern, on-board bus operating system.
Updating the farebox systems is greatly needed to modernize the front- and back-ends of our bus operations,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr.
“We are always striving to provide our customers with a more convenient travel experience, in this case that includes improved fare transactions, as well as well as more reliable equipment.”
The next generation farebox features a new, easier to read customer display screen and audio signals similar to the Ventra card validators on the rail system, the CTA said. The updated system can report ridership data and revenue and identify farebox defects.
The equipment will be installed on buses operating out of CTA’s Chicago Avenue Garage on the West Side, which serves some of the agency’s busiest routes including: #12 Roosevelt, #20 Madison, #53 Pulaski, #65 Grand and #66 Chicago.