CTA to introduce new, more modern fareboxes on buses
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Transit Authority has begun testing a new farebox system on its buses.
While they are supplemented with a pad that can read Ventra cards, the current cash fareboxes on CTA buses have been in use for more than 30 years – dating back to the days of full- and half-fare tokens and paper transfers.
These fareboxes will be replaced with a more modern system that improves the experience for those paying with cash. It will also make operations at CTA garages easier, according to the transit agency.
"Updating the farebox systems is greatly needed to modernize the front- and back-ends of our bus operations," CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. said in a news release. "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."
According to the CTA, the next-generation farebox features a new display screen, and audio signals similar to the Ventra system for CTA 'L' trains.
This first phase of the rollout will incorporate testing on 100 updated buses throughout the spring. The new fareboxes will first be installed on buses t hat operate out of the Chicago Avenue Garage on the West side – including the No. 12 Roosevelt, No. 20 Madison, No. 53 Pulaski, No. 65 Grand, and No. 66 Chicago, which are all among the system's busiest.
The CTA will then begin placing the new fareboxes on other buses – from the summer through the year's end.
The CTA Board approved a $41 million contract for the new equipment to Scheidt & Bachmann in October 2022.