Can Tap-To-Pay Revive Public Transit?

Can Tap-To-Pay Revive Public Transit?

A Transit Revolution Taps In The first time I used my phone to ride the New York City subway, it felt like stepping into the future. I tapped my device against the glowing reader, saw the green light, and pushed through the turnstile. No MetroCard. No fuss. Image : Google Now, after more than two decades, the iconic yellow-and-blue MetroCard is being phased out. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will stop selling it by the end of the year. In its place, NFC-equipped credit cards and digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay have become the new currency of the underground. The Rise Of Open-Loop Systems New York’s OMNY system has been around for a few years, but many other cities are just catching up. Recently, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) introduced its own tap-to-pay system, joining major networks in Philadelphia, Chicago, San Juan, and Washington, DC. These cities are adopting what’s known as “open-loop” fare payment—where riders can use their existing bank cards or mobi…