PITTSFIELD, Mass. — As Berkshire Regional Transit Authority riders take advantage of fare-free service through June 30, 2027, the agency is also looking to modernize its services and make public transportation more accessible.

 

Prior to BRTA going fare-free, riders could pay with cash or electronically using a CharlieCard. However, the state is no longer supporting Charlie Cards, according to BRTA administrator Kathleen Lambert, who said the state had been buying back CharlieCards over the last three months.

 

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is taking BRTA's CharlieCard equipment because it is still using the cards and also will be buying BRTA's old Scheidt & Bachmann fare boxes, Lambert said. 

 

But when returns to collecting fares, Lambert said, BRTA would like the system to be as cashless as possible.

 

She noted that based on a Merrimack Valley Transit (MeVa) fare analysis, the cost of collecting and processing cash fares significantly reduced the revenue. Only about 25 cents of every $1.50 collected in cash fares ultimately went back to the authority after accounting for administrative costs, she said, including staff time spent counting cash, armored-car services, banking fees and other costs associated with processing fares.

 

Right now, she said, fare free is a "much better bargain" for the agency because it is getting $1.7 million directly from the state through the Fair Share revenue, she said. 

 

But fare-free will not last forever, hence the need for technology upgrades.