The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has launched its new Tap & Ride pilot program, which allows customers to pay for their bus fare by tapping their Visa or Mastercard branded debit card, credit card or mobile wallet at contactless payment readers on River Valley Transit and CTtransit Meriden Division buses.
CTDOT notes the project marks a major step in modernizing public transportation in Connecticut, providing a seamless and secure way for customers to quickly pay while boarding the bus in select service areas. No downloads or signups are necessary.
The project is being funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant program, which was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. CTDOT was awarded a $2 million Stage 1 SMART grant and is eligible for a Stage 2 SMART grant to expand the project in the future.
“We are excited to support the Connecticut Department of Transportation on this effort, a key project to modernize and improve the transit experience for riders in this community,” said USDOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Ben Levine.
“Contactless payments have become a part of everyday life. We want our transit customers to have a quick and convenient experience when it comes to paying fares, one that doesn’t require them to have exact change or even download a mobile app," said CTDOT Bureau Chief of Public Transportation Benjamin Limmer. “Thank you to the USDOT for funding this pilot project, which will help Connecticut test this technology out with customers and develop our roadmap for a large-scale implementation of contactless payments across all bus services in the state.”
“River Valley Transit is excited to be included in CTDOT’s Tap & Ride pilot,” said River Valley Transit Executive Director Joe Comerford. “We look forward to sharing our experience implementing this new technology with other bus service providers throughout Connecticut.”
CTDOT notes Tap & Ride is a pilot program only available on River Valley Transit fixed routes and CTtransit Meriden division local routes 561, 563, 564, 565, 566 and 567. Only contactless enabled Visa or Mastercard branded products are accepted at this time.
On riders’ first tap of the day, they will be charged $1.75. Riders can transfer and tap for free on any bus with the Tap & Ride contactless payment readers for two hours after their first tap. If riders tap again after two hours, they will be charged another $1.75. Once riders reach the day cap of $3.50, they can transfer and tap for free on any bus with the Tap & Ride contactless payment readers for 24 hours after their first tap.
Within a 31-day period, if riders’ contactless fare payments sum to $52.50, they will not be charged for any additional taps made until the end of that 31-day period. Riders must use the same payment method for every tap to receive the benefit of fare capping.
