BRTA Plans Technology Upgrades as Fare-Free Service Continues
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.
BRTA wants a modern system that can handle real-time bus locations and arrival predictions, trip planning, service alerts, dispatching, passenger counts, accessibility features, paratransit reservations and, eventually, electronic fare payments.
The public-facing app would work on iOS and Android, allow riders to save routes/stops and receive text or automated-phone alerts, and be ADA-accessible.
The authority has more than $1.25 million available for transit technology upgrades, some of which will fund upgrading the station's interior information systems. That will include larger screens so that it can display information from their services and others, including Peter Pan, Greyhound, and Amtrak, Lambert said.
"We'll have accurate information for people who are waiting in the station. Often times, we have people waiting for Greyhound that will be here for hours, and it's really hard because we do close the station at some point, and they have to stand out sometimes in the cold, and that's not great either," she said.
Additionally, some of the funds will go toward updating its buses' aging technology including tablets used to operate its current RouteMatch system and outdated automatic passenger counters, Lambert said.
The existing passenger counters are no longer certified or effective, while the new system would provide updated, certifiable equipment capable of more accurately tracking ridership, she said.
The upgrades also have to be compatible with its new Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).
The authority also needs to ensure the system remains accessible to riders who may need assistance with the technology, including partnering with local councils on aging to help seniors set up and manage fare accounts on their phones.
The authority has received eight bids in response to its Aug. 12 request for proposals for a new ITS that will serve BRTA's fixed-route buses, coaches, paratransit and planned on-demand and microtransit services, Lambert said.
The contract would run for three years, with the option for two one-year extensions, potentially allowing BRTA to use the new system for five years, she said.
"I think it's going to progress the service quite a bit," Lambert said.
A review team, consisting primarily of members of BRTA's operations staff, will review the eight bids and evaluate the proposed systems, she said.
Tags: Berkshire Regional Transportation Authority, BRTA, bus, bus fares, public transportation,
