The High-Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-220, 79 Stat. 893) was the first attempt by the U.S. Congress to foster the growth of high-speed rail in the U.S. The High Speed Ground Transportation Act was introduced immediately following the creation of Japan's first high-speed Shinkansen, or "bullet train" and was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his Great Society infrastructure building initiatives. Johnson's remarks upon signing the bill included the following:


In recent decades, we have achieved technological miracles in our transportation. But there is one great exception.


We have airplanes which fly three times faster than sound. We have television cameras that are orbiting Mars. But we have the same tired and inadequate mass transportation between our towns and cities that we had 30 years ago.


Today, as we meet here in this historic room where Abigail Adams hung out her washing, an astronaut can orbit the earth faster than a man on the ground can get from New York to Washington. Yet, the same science and technology which gave us our airplanes and our space probes, I believe, could also give us better and faster and more economical transportation on the ground. And a lot of us need it more on the ground than we need it orbiting the earth.


So I hope this meeting this morning will provide a platform for us to get that kind of transportation. We must do it. We must start getting it now. In the past 15 years, travel between our cities has more than doubled. By 1985--only 20 years away--we will have 75 million more Americans in this country. And those 75 million will be doing a great deal more traveling.


So, we must find ways to move more people, to move these people faster, and to move them with greater comfort and with more safety.


This bill is a first step toward accomplishing some of those objectives.


One product of the bill was the creation of regular Metroliner service between New York City and Washington, D.C., at speeds which averaged 90.1 miles per hour (145 km/h), faster than even Acela Express trains operated between the two cities in 2012. The bill also resulted in the creation of the Office of High-Speed Ground Transportation in the Department of Commerce.


Senator Claiborne Pell was thanked by President Johnson for his persistence in pushing the High-Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965 through congress and repeatedly bringing the issue to the president's attention.


The High Speed-Ground Transportation Act received broad bi-partisan support with only 23 out of 432 members of the U.S. House of Representatives voting against the act.


Later attempts to build high-speed rail in the U.S..


President Barack Obama repeatedly asked Congress for funding for high-speed rail projects. However, no high-speed rail projects had been completed by the end of his second term in 2016.


Brightline West, formerly known as XpressWest, is a proposed privately run high-speed rail route between Las Vegas and Victor Valley, in the high desert area of Southern California. The project is intended to provide an alternative to air and automobile travel between Southern California and Las Vegas, a popular vacation spot for many living in the region. Construction on the route is expected to begin in spring 2021 and enter service in 2024.


The line was developed starting in 2005 as DesertXpress and has passed through several developers and investors. In September 2018, the project rights were acquired by Fortress Investment Group, which owns Brightline in Florida, the only privately run inter-city rail route in the United States.


Las Vegas is a gambling and tourist destination for the Greater Los Angeles area with Interstate 15 being a direct route between the two regions. Travel by automobile takes around four hours while Greyhound buses cover the route in between five and seven hours. The highway carries heavy traffic on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday which causes significant delays and bumper to bumper traffic jams. Motorists heading back to Los Angeles on Sunday can create a backup. Airlines have direct flights but traffic and security at the airport add time to the short flight. Las Vegas lost its last passenger train service in 1997 when Amtrak cancelled the "Desert Wind".


The original plan under the name "DesertXpress" was to provide an alternative to automobile travel and airline travel between the Los Angeles area to Las Vegas along Interstate 15. The city of Victorville was selected as the location for the westernmost terminal as extending the train line farther into the Los Angeles basin through the Cajon Pass was considered to be prohibitively expensive. The station would include free parking and through-checking of baggage straight to the Las Vegas Strip resorts. A future extension would have included a new link to the California High-Speed Rail station in Palmdale.


DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC was founded in 2005 to develop, construct, own and operate the high-speed rail project. 70% of the company were held by Anthony A. Marnell II of Marnell Corrao Associates through his "DX, LLC" company whereas Gary Tharaldson and François Badeau held 20 and 10%, respectively. The preparation of a first Federal Railroad Administration-Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was started in 2006.


The total cost of the link between Apple Valley and Las Vegas was expected to be around US$5 billion. In March 2010, project planners said they could obtain the full funding amount through exclusively private investors, but had also applied for a $4.9 billion loan through the federal Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing program. As of October 2011, the start of the project was contingent on receiving a $6 billion loan from the federal government, the approval or denial of which was expected in mid-2012.


A preferred design was identified with the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement on April 1, 2011, which began a public comment period that ended on May 2, 2011. The federal government approved the design on July 8, 2011, and the planned route was approved by the Surface Transportation Board on October 26, 2011. The trains were to be self-propelled, all electric multiple unit (EMU) trains with maximum speed of .


The train would travel at speeds of up to averaging and making the trip from Victorville to Las Vegas in about 1 hour 24 minutes. In March 2010, executives with the project said they expected construction to begin in 2010. In October 2011, construction was planned to begin in the last quarter of 2012, with completion in the last quarter of 2016, subject to funding.


In June 2012, the developer announced the new plan to build a network of high-speed rail for the region by expanding to Arizona, Utah and Colorado. The initial phase was to include high-speed tracks, Las Vegas to Apple Valley and Apple Valley to Palmdale.


The link between Las Vegas and Victorville was designed to be double-tracked which is dedicated for the high-speed trains. The costs of this section was estimated at $6.9 billion. The developer would put up $1.4 billion in private investment and the rest of funding would borrowed under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program provided by the Federal Railroad Administration.


Future plans include a link between Las Vegas and Phoenix, Arizona, and another from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City, Utah and Denver, Colorado. The project was subsequently rebranded to "XpressWest" to reflect the expanded mission.


In February 2013, the federal loan remained unapproved and construction was not expected to start until mid-2014 at the earliest.


Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), the chairman of the House Budget Committee and senator Jeff Sessions(R-AL), the ranking minority member of the Senate Committee on the Budget were the main opponents to the federal loan application of XpressWest. They argued that the project represented high risk to the taxpayer. They wrote to then-Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in March 2013 and recommended the administration to reject the loan application. The letter indicated that the total cost was estimated to be $6.9 billion. The $1.4 billion would come from the private sources and the remaining $5.5 billion would come from the federal loan. The letter cited a taxpayer risk analysis report as a basis of their recommendation.


In July 2013, there were reports that loan was indefinitely suspended, which were later confirmed by the federal government, which said that it had been suspended in part due to the failure of the application in regard to the "Buy America" policy which required applicants to use American-made products. Despite the indefinite suspension of the federal loan application, which was viewed as a denial of the application, the developer indicated that the XpressWest project would proceed without providing the details on financial plan.


In 2014, Nevada Senator Harry Reid mentioned that the federal loan request may resurface, but little had been seen so far of the project's continued viability. In 2015, the Nevada High-Speed Rail Authority was proposed to look into the feasibility of high-speed rail into southern Nevada from California, possibly XpressWest. The bill was first introduced on April 7, 2015 and was passed by the legislature on May 20, 2015 by a vote of 40–1, and was approved by the Governor on May 27, 2015.


On September 17, 2015, XpressWest and the newly formed China Railway International USA (a consortium of Chinese rail industry companies) announced a joint venture to design, build, and operate the service between Las Vegas and Palmdale, with construction planned to begin in September 2016.


In June 2016, XpressWest announced that the joint venture had been called off. The biggest reason cited for the termination of the joint venture was a federal regulation requiring the manufacture of the high speed trains inside the United States. XpressWest said that they are "undeterred by this development and remains dedicated to completing its high-speed passenger rail project."


On September 18, 2018, Fortress Investment Group, which owns an inter-city rail route in Florida called Brightline, announced that it would acquire the XpressWest project from Marnell, indicating that it would begin construction of the rail line in the second half of 2020 with expected completion in the second half of 2024. The project is expected to generate around 18,000 jobs at its peak. Although Los Angeles County finished an environmental assessment for the project in 2016, the exact date the project is supposed to start is unclear; however, by October 2019, design plans were almost 30 percent complete and construction crews were being hired. In September 2020, the line was rebranded once again to Brightline West, and is being called "a Brightline affiliated company."


A high speed line following the Palmdale–Apple Valley–Las Vegas route was included in the 2018 California State Rail Plan as part of the 2040 timeline of projects. Subsequently, the state of California issued tax-exempt, private activity bonds to XpressWest in order to partially fund construction.


In September 2019, it was announced that California would assist the project in funding. In October 2019 California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank approved $3.25 billion in bonds and in April 2020, California government officials signed off on issuing $600 million in tax-exempt private activity bonds for XpressWest. The state of Nevada allocated the company an additional $200 million in private activity bonds in July 2020.


Cofounder and co-CEO of Fortress, Wes Edens, estimated the cost of construction at $8 billion in 2020. In September 2020, up to $3.2 billion in the tax-exempt, private activity bonds were offered. In November, it was decided to let the rights for the sale of the bonds lapse. A bond sale is planned for 2021 as continued progress has the bonds made more attractive to investors.<ref name="VVDP 2021/01/19"></ref>


The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is also considering re-programming around $2 billion in Measure M funding slated for the High Desert Corridor, a proposed freeway between Victorville and Palmdale cancelled in October 2019, to instead create a development plan for an extension of the XpressWest route between the two cities.


The tracks are planned to be laid within the median strip of Interstate 15, and sections would pass through federal land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service. The line is not planned to stop at intermediate cities, and would take 84 minutes to complete a one-way trip between Victorville and Las Vegas. While plans at first called for a fully double-track railway along the route, moving to the highway median led Brightline to revise the project and instead operate largely as a single track with passing sidings.


In 2009, XpressWest estimated that it will carry around five million round trip passengers in the first full year of operation, with the company charging fares of around $50 for a one-way trip between Victorville and Las Vegas. In 2012, the round-trip fare was planned to be around $89, with trains were expected to run every 20 minutes on peak and up to every 12 minutes as demand requires. , the stated frequency is 45 minutes between departures.


The 2011 project outline had several options in Las Vegas near the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino or Downtown. One potential Las Vegas station location was approved as the site of Allegiant Stadium, but in 2020 the Las Vegas station was revealed to be located on the empty plot of land bordered by Interstate 15 and Las Vegas Boulevard, between Robindale Road and El Dorado Lane. The Victorville train station will be northeast of the city near I-15 and Dale Evans Parkway, just north of the unincorporated community of Bell Mountain. A maintenance facility is also planned be located in the Victor Valley.


An extension into the Greater Los Angeles area could connect to the Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink station and provide a link to the Ontario International Airport. An extension to the Palmdale station would connect to both the future California High Speed Rail and the existing Metrolink service into Los Angeles.


The company entered into an agreement to lease the state-owned Interstate 15 right-of-way from Caltrans, in June 2020. The 50-year lease is in the amount of $842,000 per year starting in 2020, adjusted according to the consumer price index every three years.


Additionally, Brightline entered into a memorandum of understanding with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority to build a spur from Apple Valley to Rancho Cucamonga, providing connectivity within the Inland Empire. Metrolink also approved a memorandum of understanding to study linking the project to Rancho Cucamonga and Palmdale Metrolink stations.<ref name="Forb 2020/08/22"></ref>


The service is planned to utilize Siemens Velaro rolling stock.


Avelia Liberty is a high-speed passenger train built for the North American market by French manufacturer Alstom and assembled in the United States. Amtrak has ordered 28 trainsets for use on its flagship "Acela" service along the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C., via New York City and Philadelphia.


It is part of the Avelia family of high-speed trains, which also includes the Avelia Horizon designed for the TGV, but adapted to conform with North American railroad standards, including U.S. Federal Railroad Administration crashworthiness standards. Amtrak says that compared to the prior generation, these trainsets would allow for improved frequency and greater capacity on the "Acela" service.


, two prototype trainsets were undergoing testing and construction of the other trainsets was ongoing. The first trainset is expected to enter revenue service in early 2022, with all trainsets in service by late 2022, resulting in Amtrak retiring its current Acela trains by the end of the same year.


In August 2016, Amtrak announced a $2.4 billion loan from the United States Department of Transportation for the purchase of new high-speed trainsets for the "Acela" service from Alstom. Alstom will also provide long-term technical support and supply spare components and parts. These next generation trainsets would replace the 20 existing Bombardier-Alstom trainsets that were nearing the end of their useful service life.


Amtrak said that the Avelia Liberty trainsets would allow for improved frequency and greater capacity on the "Acela" service. The 28 trainsets ordered (compared to the 20 older trainsets) would allow for more frequent service on the route, including half-hourly peak service between New York City and Washington, D.C. Each of the new trainsets will also have 378 seats and 8 wheelchair locations for a total capacity of 386 passengers (25% more than the current trainsets), allowing for greater passenger capacity.


U.S. assembly of the trainsets is taking place at Alstom's plants in Hornell and Rochester, New York. Initial construction of car bodies and major components began at Hornell in October 2017. The first prototype set was sent to the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) in Pueblo, Colorado in February 2020 for testing on the high-speed test track. During the nine months of expected trials, the trainsets were tested at speeds up to . A second prototype was delivered in March 2020 to Amtrak for testing along the service tracks in the Northeast which began in May 2020. The first test run up to Boston South Station occurred on September 28.


The first trainset is expected to enter revenue service in early 2022, with all trainsets in service by late 2022, at which point Amtrak will retire the previous "Acela" fleet.


Each Avelia Liberty trainset has power cars at each end of the train, and (initially) nine articulated passenger cars. An additional three passenger cars can be added if demand grows. The power cars include a Crash Energy Management system to help meet Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) standards while allowing a 30% reduction in train weight. These trains will also have USB ports, power sockets, Wi-Fi, accessibility features, and other conveniences.


The trainsets will be equipped with an active tilt system, dubbed Tiltronix by Alstom, that will allow higher speeds on curved portions of the corridor track at a maximum tilt angle of 6.3°.


The new trainsets, along with track and signaling improvements, will allow for an initial improvement in maximum regular service speed to on some portions of the route. Many investments into track and signaling upgrades are currently underway or completed.


The National Maglev Initiative (NMI) was a research program undertaken in the early 1990s by the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Energy, and other agencies which studied magnetically levitated, or "maglev", train technology, operating at speeds around . The effort was created in April 1990 and released a report in 1993. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) authorized $725 million in funds for maglev research, pending the results of the NMI study, but an appropriation of funds was also required, and it's not clear if that ever occurred.


The initiative identified several corridors, each extending hundreds of miles, across the country that might benefit from high-speed maglev trains. They correspond significantly with the high-speed rail corridors identified in October 1992 following the ISTEA legislation, but were generally more extensive and had other differences.


Maglev technology has largely stagnated in the U.S., with no real revenue deployments. Meanwhile, the longest maglev line in the world used for revenue service is the Shanghai Maglev Train in Shanghai, China, which is less than in length.


Some related legislation and government efforts in the United States include:


The Chicago Card and the Chicago Card Plus were contactless smart cards used by riders of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Pace to electronically pay for bus and train fares in the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA and the surrounding suburbs. On June 1, 2014, CTA and Pace stopped accepting these cards as part of a transition to Ventra.


The blue Chicago Card was a stored value card. Users added value to the card at CTA vending machines or at select retail locations, and turnstiles or fareboxes deducted value from the card. Users usually registered cards with CTA and could receive a replacement in the event of theft, loss, or damage to the card.


The blue-and-gold Chicago Card Plus was an account-based card. Users linked the card to either a credit card, debit card, or employer-provided transit benefit program. The cards could be set up as monthly passes or on a pay-per-use basis. The account reloaded from the linked source either when the monthly pass expired or when a user-defined threshold was passed on a pay-per-use card. Because of this direct link to personal accounts, all Chicago Card Plus cards were registered by their users.


In February 2007, CTA announced that it had settled a class action lawsuit


alleging there were not enough Chicago Cards available to meet demand on January 1, 2006, when the cash fare increase went into effect, but Chicago Card users were charged the old fares.


Benefits of the Chicago Card and the Chicago Card Plus included the following:


The CTA announced it would replace the Chicago Card and other fare media with a new electronic fare payment system named Ventra. There are also reports that the Regional Transportation Authority is planning to require that Pace and Metra adopt that system. The transition to Ventra was completed in the summer of 2014.


The Transit Access Pass (TAP) card is a form of electronic ticketing payment method used on most public transport services within Los Angeles County, California.


It is administered by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), and the card and fare collection systems are manufactured by Cubic Transportation Systems. Metro staff manage the web site and provide customer support functions.


Currently most operators sell passes on the TAP web site, and Metro sells monthly, weekly, and day passes at rail ticket vending machines. Stored value (cash purse) can be added onto the TAP card at rail ticket vending machines, retail locations, and online. Non-Metro agencies may sell transfers on TAP cards, which can be read by Metro TAP readers. For non-Metro operators, TAP cards are sold at their administrative offices, TAP website, or customer service centers.


There are some agencies in Southern California which do not (yet) accept the TAP card. Transit agencies have been allowed to transition onto TAP at their own pace, and it is not a requirement for receiving Metro funding or participation in interagency transfer agreements.


Prior to introduction of the TAP card, a magnetic stripe card called the Metrocard (not to be confused with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's card) was introduced in 1993 on Culver CityBus, with later expansion to Foothill Transit, Montebello Bus Lines, Norwalk Transit, and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus. The fare card only offered stored value, and was compatible with GFI Genfare fareboxes used by these systems. The program was dubbed the Universal Fare System, or UFS, for future implementation throughout Los Angeles County. Later innovations expanded the magnetic stripe technology for monthly and day passes.


TAP was initially tested by UCLA students, select businesses (A-TAP and B-TAP program) and Metro staff. In October 2007, TAP had a two-month test program limited to the first 2,000 customers. TAP was rolled out to the general public in February 2008 as a free upgrade for monthly pass customers, and on February 11, 2008, to replace the stored value Metrocards for Culver CityBus riders. Santa Monica Big Blue Bus opted out of the Universal Fare System program entirely and in 2006 converted their existing regional Metrocards to operate only within their system. Other agencies, such as Foothill Transit and Norwalk Transit, transitioned from Metrocard to TAP in 2009.


On March 15, 2009, TAP's scope was expanded to Metro 24-hour passes, which are now only sold on TAP, at Ticket Vending Machines and TAP Vendors (although paper 24-hour passes were still able to be purchased at ticket vending machines until 2012). TAP cards were issued for seniors and the disabled beginning January 2009, and all senior and disabled riders were required to obtain TAP cards by December 2010.


In August 2011, all Metro multi-day passes were converted to TAP cards. The existing monthly and weekly passes were converted into 30 and 7 day passes, respectively, with the period beginning on the first tap after the pass is purchased.


Effective September 2012, all Metro Rail fares are sold on TAP, and paper tickets are no longer sold, with the exception of municipal transfers, which have since also been moved to TAP. All EZ transit passes have been converted to TAP. The fee for obtaining a TAP card is $2.


Between June 19, 2013 and June 18, 2014 the faregates at 40 Metro stations were "latched" so they open only with a valid TAP card. To make the faregate system possible, other agencies use TAP-compatible fare media in 2018.


Effective July 15, 2018, paper-issued interagency transfers as well as temporary TAP cards used to transfer to Metro Rail have been discontinued. Passengers must use a TAP card with Stored Value to board the first bus or the Metro Rail/Orange/Silver Line, then use the TAP card to transfer to another bus or Metro Rail/Orange/Silver Line to complete the trip. On Metro buses and rail lines, transfers are free for up to two hours.


TAP is accepted on these services as of July 1, 2015:


While not all of the region's transit agencies use TAP for fare collection, all agencies that offer interagency transfers issue them on TAP-compatible paper tickets. The ticket allows passengers to ride one additional Metro Bus, Metro Rail, or municipal bus line.


Metrolink does not use TAP for fare collection and has no plans to do so, but the agency does use TAP-capable paper fare media. The TAP functionality is only enabled on one-way, round trip, 7 day, weekend and monthly passes issued for trips to or from a Los Angeles County destination, allowing passengers to transfer to connecting services. As of January 2020, Metrolink no longer has TAP enabled tickets to transfer to Metro rail riders scan the QR code on the ticket at Metro rail turnstiles and show ticket on buses.


While the Orange County Transportation Authority does not use TAP, the agency will honor TAP cards when passengers board lines that directly serve Los Angeles County (lines 1, 30, 38, 42, 46, 50, 60, 560, 701, and 721) and at bus stops where OCTA buses directly connect with Metro buses.


The ORCA card (One Regional Card for All) is a contactless, stored-value smart card system for public transit in the Puget Sound region of Washington, United States. The card is valid on most transit systems in the Seattle metropolitan area, including Sound Transit, local bus agencies, Washington State Ferries, the King County Water Taxi, and Kitsap Fast Ferries. It was launched in 2009 and is managed by the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination Project, a board composed of local transit agencies.


The card is able to be loaded with "e-purse" value, similar to a debit card, and monthly passes. Cards are sold and reloaded at participating grocery stores, customer service centers, and ticket vending machines at transit stations. ORCA cards offer free transfers between transit systems within a two-hour window.


In 2018, the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) contracted INIT (Innovations in Transportation, Inc.) to replace the legacy ORCA system with an account-based, open architecture system known as "next generation ORCA". The next generation ORCA system will offer new payment options including mobile ticketing, maintain customer data security, and provide real-time account management and fare processing so customers can instantly add value to their account at any time. The new system is set to rollout in phases, beginning in 2021.


Central Puget Sound transit agencies have collaborated in a region-wide fare system since 1991 with the introduction of U-PASS and later FlexPass. In 1996, voters approved Sound Move, which called for an integrated regional fare policy for a "one-ticket ride". That goal led to the creation of the PugetPass in 1999, which allowed transit riders to use a single pass for five transit agencies.


On April 29, 2003, an agreement to implement a smart card system between the seven agencies in the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination Project (Sound Transit, King County Metro, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit, and Washington State Ferries) was signed along with a US$43 million contract awarded to ERG Transit Systems (now Vix Technology) as the vendor and system integrator of the project. The ORCA card was originally anticipated to be operational in 2006.


On Friday, April 17, 2009, ORCA announced a limited rollout of the regional smart card beginning April 20, 2009. The limited rollout allowed remaining technical issues in the system to be resolved. An extensive rollout and public outreach campaign followed in June 2009. Blank cards were available at no charge during the introductory period, but as of March 1, 2010, the card cost $5 ($3 for reduced fare permit holders). Users of PugetPasses, FlexPasses, and other passes were to be gradually transitioned to ORCA.


The ORCA launch press kit gave a launch timeline as follows:


Between November 9 and December 22, 2006, as many as 6,000 transit riders were asked to participate in a live test of the smart card system. The test was conducted on selected routes of the seven participating agencies. The University of Washington conducted a separate test for integrating ORCA with the Husky Card and U-PASS during the same period.


The card uses the ISO/IEC 14443 RFID standard. Specifically, the MIFARE DESFire EV1 which "implements all 4 levels of ISO / IEC 14443A and uses optional ISO / IEC 7816-4 commands.".


ORCA is managed by the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination System, a joint board of directors with representatives of all member transit agencies. Day-to-day management is provided by the staff of Sound Transit and King County Metro. The system is centrally operated by Vix Technology.


An ORCA card can be used as a stored-value card through a function called the electronic purse (E-purse). The E-purse holds value that can be used like cash to pay fare. The minimum value that can be added to an E-purse is $5. The maximum value that can be stored in an E-purse is $300.


PugetPass is a regional monthly pass that lets passengers travel on nearly every transit service in the region for a calendar month. A PugetPass is valid for payment of trip fares up to the value of the pass. Trip fares above the value of the pass may be paid with E-purse value. (Example: a passenger who has a $2.50 PugetPass and rides a service that costs $3.75 would have $2.50 covered by the PugetPass and $1.25 would be deducted from their E-Purse). Washington State Ferries does not accept the PugetPass. Pass values available range from 50¢ to $5.75. Passes are priced at $36 per $1 of fare value.


This pass costs $8 or $4.50 (senior/disabled and youth only) and cover up to $3.50 or $1.75 (senior/disabled and youth only) of fare value per trip on any transit service that honours the PugetPass within 24 hours of first boarding.


An agency pass covers rides on a specific transit agency's service. Examples include Washington State Ferries' monthly passes, Metro ACCESS paratransit passes, and Metro vanpool passes.


Employers may purchase one of two products for their employees:


The ORCA Business Passport is comprehensive, annual transportation pass program. Employers pay a flat annual cost per employee and each receives an ORCA card that covers almost all transit services in the Puget Sound, including Vanpool. Employers must cover all employees.


The ORCA Business Choice allows businesses to add funds to employee ORCA cards on a monthly basis in the form of an E-voucher. The E-voucher can be used to purchase a monthly PugetPass or E-purse value. Any unused E-voucher amount at the end of the month is removed from the employee ORCA cards and refunded to the business.


Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle has proposed free ORCA cards for students enrolled in Seattle Public Schools. Seattle Public Schools has issued ORCA cards to students previously; the Interagency program provided these to students from low-income families and those who live more than two miles from theirm school.


ORCA cards allow a two-hour transfer from the time fare is paid. If an E-purse or regional pass was used to pay fare, transfers are allowed on any bus or rail system in the region. If an agency pass was used, transfers are allowed only on services within that agency. Transfers are stored on the card and automatically calculated for the user. Transfers are not given or accepted on Washington State Ferries.


ORCA card users paying with an E-purse can set their zone preference for King County Metro and Sound Transit services. Since July 2018, King County Metro is single-zone only.


Several features of the ORCA card are only available when it is registered.


Balance protection protects the user from losing any value on the card when it is lost or stolen. A replacement card is issued with its value restored for the cost of a new card if the card is registered.


An Autoload automatically adds transportation products to an ORCA card on a regular basis using a Visa or MasterCard. Examples of autoloads are adding value to an E-purse when its balance falls below a certain amount and recurring purchases of monthly passes.


A "My ORCA" account can be created on the ORCA website to monitor and manage ORCA cards. The account lets the user view transportation products stored on their card (E-purse balance, validity period of passes), transaction history, purchase additional ORCA cards for others, set up an Autoload, set fare presets, and report lost, stolen, or damaged cards.


The ORCA LIFT program discounts fares to $1.50 per ride for users of the ORCA card earning less than 200% of the federal poverty level.


As of March 2016, an adult ORCA card costs $5, one of the highest prices for a public transportation smart card in the United States. The King County Council has requested a study on the impact of either eliminating the $5 fee or adding $5 in value to all newly purchased cards. The report will be due in February 2017.


Delay in applying credit to an ORCA card E-purse.


It takes between 24–48 hours for an online credit to apply to an E-purse, whether you do it directly via the web page or call customer service. The only way to get an immediate credit is to go to one of the transit stations that sell ORCA cards and reload the card via a Ticket Vending Machine or visit a customer service center or authorized retailer in person.


The ORCA card, especially subsidized ones, may be used to track users. Information regarding a card user's trips may be released to third parties including employers who subsidize the cards. Other parties may also obtain detailed trip information.


Ventra is an electronic fare payment system for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace, which replaced the Chicago Card and the Transit Card automated fare collection systems. Ventra (purportedly Latin for "windy," though the actual Latin word is "ventosa") launched in August 2013, with a full system transition occurring in July 2014. The payment system includes several options of payment, including a contactless smart card powered by RFID, a single day or use ticket powered by RFID, any personal bank-issued credit card or debit card that has an RFID chip, and a compatible mobile phone. Ventra is operated by Cubic Transportation Systems. A smartphone app allows users to manage fares, buy passes, and buy mobile tickets for Metra.


Residents and local media were critical of the lack of communication from the CTA regarding this new payment system, but CTA officials said they planned to do extensive public outreach before the new system was activated.


Post-activation, users have reported cards taking as long as five weeks to arrive in the mail, cards that did not work even after payments were applied, issues activating cards, and calling the Ventra customer service line and waiting on hold for half an hour or more—or being disconnected while waiting on hold.


In response to issues during the roll out of Ventra the CTA announced on October 9, 2013, that it would reinstate the ability to add money to the old fare options until issues with the roll out were corrected.


At the time CTA also announced that the December 15, 2013 deadline for the complete transition was still in effect.


A Ventra system outage that occurred during rush hour on November 13, 2013 required the CTA to waive fares for an estimated 15,000 rides, with passengers boarding trains by showing their Ventra cards to station attendants. The outage was due to a back-office server issue at the contractor's office. The CTA stated that it would be seeking payment for the lost revenue from Cubic at a value of $33,750.


The final transition to Ventra was postponed indefinitely in early November, from the original December 15, 2013, date, due to the persistent issues with the roll out. In early 2014, CTA and Pace both announced plans to resume the final rollout, with a full transition to Ventra expected by July 2014.


The CTA stated in early November 2013 that no payments would be made to Cubic until customer service line wait times are under five minutes, transactions at entry take less than 2.5 seconds for 99% of transactions, and that 99% of the new equipment is functioning.


With the app, customers can manage their Ventra transit accounts, buy mobile tickets to ride Metra trains and receive notifications when their account balances are low or when unlimited-ride passes are due to expire. There is also a ‘Transit Tracker’ feature that enables customers to view schedules and arrival times for Metra, CTA and Pace.


After two months of the Ventra app's launch in late January 2016, Metra customers have taken more than 1 million rides using mobile tickets. The 1 millionth ride was taken Jan. 19, exactly two months after the app was launched. The mobile pay capability could potentially extend to letting travelers coordinate and pay for multiple modes of transportation.


In a later phase, customers will be able to download a virtual Ventra Card onto their near-field-communication-compatible mobile devices, allowing them to access their Ventra transit accounts to pay for rides on CTA trains and CTA and Pace buses directly from the Ventra mobile app by touching their smartphone or other mobile device to a Ventra reader.


According to the CTA, the Ventra app has been well-received, based on customer feedback and its increasing number of downloads. While there was no official target set for the number of downloads the CTA hoped the app would get, it saw more than 20,000 downloads its first day. More than 1,300 Metra ticket purchases were made through the app, which represented nearly 9,600 Metra tickets (accounting for 10-ride purchases as 10 tickets), and more than 5,000 new Ventra accounts were created in the app the day it launched.


Riders can load the free app on Apple and Android smartphones from the App Store and Google Play. Fares can be paid for using a credit or debit card or a Ventra account. Officials said it's worth creating an account because it expedites buying passes or tickets, and fares can be recovered if the fare card is stolen or lost.


Towards the end of October 2020, the CTA announced that Ventra would be able to be used within an Apple Pay wallet, allowing a customer's card to be scanned on an iPhone or Apple Watch device, though with the caveat that the customer's plastic Ventra card would no longer be able to be used.


The CharlieCard is named after the lead character in the 1948 protest folk music song, "M.T.A.". The song was written to protest a fare increase in the form of an extra five cent exit fare for longer rides and was later made popular by the Kingston Trio in 1959. One of the rejected names for the farecard system was "The Fare Cod", a pun on both the way locals might pronounce "Card" and the fish that was once integral to the Massachusetts economy, and also a reference to other transit cards named for ocean animals, such as London's Oyster and Hong Kong's Octopus. Another rejected name was T Go card with the T being the symbol for the MBTA.


CharlieCards work on the MBTA's subway and bus services, most of which were converted in 2006. Token sales ended on December 6, 2006. The final fare-controlled station to be converted was Fields Corner station on December 22, 2006. They were originally expected to be usable on MBTA commuter rail and ferry boat services by December 2008, with testing on the Commuter Rail originally planned for summer 2008. However, testing had been pushed back to 2009, and full implementation had not been expected until 2011. By 2012, the MBTA had abandoned plans to accept CharlieCards on the commuter rail system. CharlieCards are not accepted on THE RIDE.


CharlieCards are gradually being expanded to the other transit authorities in Massachusetts. CharlieCard acceptance has expanded to the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (October 2010), Brockton Area Transit Authority (March 2011), Lowell Regional Transit Authority (November 2011), Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (branded "Tap and Ride Card"; February 2012), Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (March 2012), Worcester Regional Transit Authority (April 2012), Cape Ann Transportation Authority, Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (November 2012), Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (January 2013), and Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (January 2014).


On December 16, 2020, the MBTA announced that in Winter 2020-2021, the AFC 2.0 system would roll out in a closed pilot program at Forest Hills and Ruggles stations, and on the 28 and 39 bus routes. This new system uses a contactless CharlieCard that has a simplified design.


The CharlieCard can store a cash balance and daily, weekly and monthly passes that allow unlimited rides during the set period of time. Passengers use the plastic CharlieCard by tapping it against a target on a gate or a vehicle farebox. When tapped, the gate or farebox either debits the cost of the passenger's ride, verifies that the card has a valid transfer or that the card has a pass that is valid for travel at the given time and location. Transit riders can add value or a monthly pass to their cards at machines located at MBTA stations and vehicles, MBTA ticket offices, and retail sales terminals at select outlets. Beginning in 2009, CharlieCards could be registered and have passes or money added to them online.


The original CharlieCards show no expiration date, but expired three to five years after they were first activated. CharlieCards distributed later had expiration dates printed on them and are valid for ten years, with the exception of Student CharlieCards which expire at the end of the school year they are issued.


Prior to 2021, if a user needed to replace an expired CharlieCard, they had to go to the Downtown Crossing pass sales office during business hours or mail the card to MBTA. Passes and stored value left on an expired card can be moved to the replacement card.


In 2021, MBTA announced plans to upgrade fare vending machines to be able to dispense CharlieCards. They also announced plans to have the new machines dispense “tappable” paper CharlieTickets, which can be scanned on future fare card readers that were under testing in 2021. Additionally, the new fare readers would allow riders to pay using a smartphone or contactless credit card.


In 2012, MBTA announced plans to introduce tickets that could be purchased and scanned on smartphones.


After a shift to CharlieCards, some token collectors were retrained as "Customer Service Agents" (CSAs).


In March 2017, the MBTA announced they were planning on privatizing their customer service positions to increase efficiency. The MBTA hired a company called 'Block By Block" and named "Transit Ambassadors". In August 2017, the new Transit Ambassador program was rolled out.


As of December 2020, there were 200 Transit Ambassadors working in the MBTA system.


Automated fare collection equipment is also compatible with the MBTA's CharlieTicket, a paper card with a magnetic stripe that operates as a stored-value card or time-period (monthly, weekly, or daily) pass. The MBTA first implemented the stored-value CharlieTicket on the Silver Line in February 2005. Tickets are inserted into a slot in the gate or farebox, the fare is deducted, and the ticket is returned to the rider.


On September 18, 2008, two 150-bike parking cages were made available at the Alewife station, next to the MBTA parking garage. Since then, a number of MBTA stations have been provided with secure, monitored bicycle parking cages. Previously, access to these cages required a free special Bike CharlieCard. However, as of the spring of 2013, any CharlieCard can be registered for bike cage access.


CharlieCards can be reloaded, and CharlieTickets can be purchased and exchanged for new ones at Fare Vending Machines (FVMs) in transit stations, and elsewhere in the system including buses. All FVMs accept credit and debit cards; most also accept cash and coins. The AFC fareboxes on buses and light rail trains accept CharlieCards, Change Tickets, CharlieTickets, cash (up to $20 bills), and coins. When customers pay with cash on the bus, they may receive their change on a "ChangeTicket".


The MBTA gives a discount for CharlieCard users that began with the fare increase that took effect on January 1, 2007, and continuing with later increases. For example, a subway or trolley ride costs $2.40 with a CharlieCard but $2.65 with a CharlieTicket or cash. Local bus riders get a $0.50 discount with a CharlieCard ($1.60 vs $2.10),express bus riders pay an extra $1 or $1.50 depending on the route, and similar surcharges had been planned for commuter rail, and harbor ferries, but not THE RIDE. The MBTA also plans to continue providing the cards themselves free of charge, at pass offices, at stations throughout the system, at local retailers, and online.


There is also a senior citizen/disabled citizen Charlie pass, with reduced fares for qualifying individuals, called a "Senior/TAP" (Transportation Access Pass) CharlieCard. Middle school and high school students also can obtain a discounted CharlieCard.


The bulk of the MBTA's vehicles and stations were transitioned to the CharlieCard-compatible system throughout 2006, with Fields Corner the last to be converted on December 22, 2006.


Fare Vending Machines are available at all underground stations, as well as on the baggage-claim level of Logan International Airport terminals, inside Fenway Park, and at all stations on the Green Line D branch. Proof-of-Payment Validation machines are installed at select stops on the other Green Line branches.


There are no plans to install Fare Vending Machines at Silver Line surface stops at the present time. Instead, the MBTA plans to install fare card sales terminals inside retail stores at other heavily trafficked locations in the system, including along busy bus routes and near selected Green Line and Silver Line stops, and in non-traditional locations such as Fenway Park. Fare vending machines were later installed at all airport stops before the Silver Line became free to board at the airport, removing the need for the Fare Vending Machines.


The Green Line is the most heavily traveled light rail line in the United States, with an average of 230,000 riders each weekday. Because of this heavy ridership, at selected stops on the Green Line the MBTA implemented a system known as Show-N-Go, which allows riders to flash their monthly passes and enter through the rear doors of a train, reducing congestion at the front door. This worked well when monthly passes were on paper tickets, as each month's pass differed visually from the previous month, but became an issue when the MBTA encouraged riders to store their monthly passes on their CharlieCards, as passes held this way cannot be verified visually.


The MBTA's solution was to turn the surface portion of the Green Line into a proof-of-payment system to increase the efficiency of boarding at peak times on surface Green Line stops. All doors on all trolleys open at some or all stations, depending on the branch. Passengers can pay their fare in several ways, depending on their payment method. Passengers paying with cash must enter through the front door and pay at the farebox, where they may receive a proof-of-payment receipt. Stored-value CharlieCard or CharlieTicket holders may also need to pay at the farebox.


In July 2012, the MBTA reverted to a "front door only" boarding policy on surface stations outside of peak hours to combat fare evasion. This policy also requires passengers getting off the streetcar to walk all the way to the front of the car to exit.


This later changed to an all door boarding during busy hours and a front door only during off-peak hours.


Security flaws in the CharlieCard technology were studied and reported in a presentation by Henryk Plötz and Karsten Nohl at the Chaos Communication Congress in December 2007, which described a partial reverse-engineering of the algorithm used in the MIFARE Classic chip. The MIFARE Classic smartcard from NXP Semiconductors, owned by Philips, was reported as compromised in March 2008 by a group of researchers led by Karsten Nohl, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science, University of Virginia.


In addition, the security used on the mag-stripe CharlieTickets was broken by a team of MIT students. They were scheduled to give a talk about their findings at DEFCON 16 in August 2008, but were stopped after a federal lawsuit was filed against them by the MBTA, which resulted in a restraining order being issued. However, their presentation had already been published by DEFCON before the complaint was filed. On August 19, the court ruled the students could give their presentation.


Other MIT students leveraged the technology behind Charlie Cards in 2013, with the development of Sesame Ring, a wearable ring embedded with an RFID tag that would save riders time in passing through MBTA station faregates. The students formed a company called Ring Theory and funded development of the product using a Kickstarter campaign. The Sesame Ring can be ordered online, or purchased in the MBTA Gift Store in Cambridge. The product was developed with full cooperation from the MBTA.


SmarTrip is a contactless stored-value smart card payment system managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) uses a compatible payment system called CharmCard. A reciprocity agreement between the MTA and WMATA allows either card to be used for travel on any of the participating transit systems in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Unlike traditional paper farecards or bus passes, SmarTrip/CharmCard is designed to be permanent and reloadable; the term "SmarTrip" may refer to both payment systems unless otherwise noted.


WMATA began using SmarTrip for payment on Metrorail in 1999 followed shortly by Metrobus and Metro parking lots. It was later extended to other public transit systems throughout the region. Although WMATA initially drew criticism due to the limited number of SmarTrip sales locations, distribution has expanded to local convenience stores and supermarkets. By late 2012 all Metrorail stations were equipped with SmarTrip vending machines.


In October 2010, WMATA announced that it was working on a replacement system because the company that makes SmarTrip cards has since gone out of business. However, the transit agency found an alternate manufacturer to produce additional cards until a new payment system is introduced.


Since March 6, 2016, SmarTrip cards are the only payment method accepted on Metrorail; paper farecards are no longer valid.


In an effort to reduce fraud and waste, Metro announced in October 2008 that it would be eliminating paper bus transfers effective January 4, 2009. All riders who wished to take advantage of reduced-fare transfers were required to pay using SmarTrip. Paper bus passes were eliminated in January 2011 and passes are now only available on SmarTrip.


For SmarTrip, pass rules are different from CharmCard. All Metrorail passes are now available on SmarTrip. These include One-Day, 7-Day, and 28-Day fast passes valid for unlimited travel on Metrorail. A 7-Day Short Trip Pass is also sold, allowing unlimited off-peak rides, and unlimited peak rides for trips costing up to $3.50, with the difference in fare deducted from the stored value on the card if necessary. CharmCard allows a maximum of two of each pass to be stored, so two day passes and two monthly passes, plus cash, can be stored on the card.


Metro also sells SmarTrip cards that are preloaded with a One-Day rail pass online for the same price as just the pass alone ($14 since July 1, 2012), including all of the commemorative SmarTrip cards issued since 2009.


Discounted (half-fare) cards have different rules for SmarTrip and CharmCard. SmarTrip for seniors and the disabled may only be purchased in person from a Metro agent or authorized sales office, and the person must show ID and for a disabled rider, proof of disability (either WMATA Disabled ID or Medicare card.) CharmCard for seniors and disabled are only available from the MTA reduced fare office at 6 St. Paul Street in downtown Baltimore, with similar requirements (proof of age or disability). Also, while WMATA charges a $2 fee plus the amount to load in value for senior/disabled SmarTrip card, MTA merely requires at least $2 in value to be initially loaded onto a senior/disabled CharmCard; MTA waives any fee for the card.


"Exit fare" machines (used with paper farecards) previously did not accept SmarTrip, and riders with insufficient value to pay their fare were allowed to exit the system with any negative balance. This negative balance must, however, be paid before the card may be used again to enter the system. In addition, the card must contain sufficient value to pay the full fee in order to exit a Metro parking lot. Since SmarTrip owners were allowed to exit the system with an unlimited negative balance, the Metro Board had previously rejected proposals to reduce the price of SmarTrip cards from $5 down to $2.50.


Starting September 1, 2012, Metro began offering $3 rebates to customers who registered their cards online after purchase. The cards still cost $5, but a $3 credit was refunded to the card five days after first use. Also starting September 1, riders have been required to have a minimum balance of $1.20 on their SmarTrip cards (35¢ for half-fare senior/disabled cards) in order to enter the Metrorail system, which reduced the possible negative balance upon exit.


Effective October 1, 2013, the price of the card was reduced to $2, the rebate program was discontinued, and the maximum permitted negative balance upon exit was set at $1.50, with riders who would exceed this being required to use the Exitfare machines to add value to their cards.


SmarTrip cards comply with the ISO/IEC 14443 Type B standard. A microchip contained within the card stores its value, as well as the rider's most recent entry and exit points, and a unique identifier. However, the unique identifier is not linked to a person's name or identity, unless one registers the card online. Registering SmarTrip cards allows riders to recover their remaining balance (minus a $5 replacement fee), should the card be lost, stolen, or damaged. The unique identifier also allows workers enrolled in the SmartBenefits program, which allows employers to subsidize employee transportation costs tax-free, to credit their monthly benefits to their cards.


The SmarTrip system was built and designed by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of San Diego-based Cubic Corporation. As of October 2010 Cubic is reportedly no longer producing the cards.


In December 2010, WMATA issued a request for proposals for a replacement system. The new payment system is expected to use federal employee badges and certain smart phones in addition to the stored value cards. In January 2014 WMATA announced that the contract for the new system was awarded to Accenture.


In May 2012, the transit agency announced that it had found a replacement manufacturer for SmarTrip cards to avoid shortages until a new payment system goes into place. Customers will likely not notice any differences except that the new cards are slightly thinner and cheaper to produce.


SmarTrip was the first contactless smart card for transit in the United States when WMATA began selling SmarTrip cards on May 18, 1999. By 2004, 650,000 SmarTrip cards were in circulation. On November 12, 2002, the first SmarTrip readers were used on Metrobuses. In May 2004, SmarTrip readers were introduced at parking garage gates. In December 2010, 1,800,000 SmarTrip cards were in use. In February 2011, WMATA replaced the antennas on all Metrorail faregates to improve the speed and range of its faregates' SmarTrip processing. On September 1st, 2020, Apple and WMATA enabled SmarTrip cards to be added to Apple Pay through the Wallet app.


In May 2011, WMATA and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation started a pilot project to give students in the DC Public Schools "DC One Cards" which are SmarTrip compatible. The new cards serve as both a student identification card and provide reduced or free Metro fares during student commuting hours. The cards are intended to address youth behavior problems in Metrorail stations.


In the summer of 2018, the DC One Card Kids Ride Free program was replaced by the SmarTrip Kids Ride Free Program due to difficulties in activating the DC One Cards. All students who live in the District of Columbia, attend a public, charter, or private school in the District of Columbia, and are between the ages of 5 and 21 are eligible for a Kids Ride Free SmarTrip Card. The Kids Ride Free Card, a normal SmarTrip card with a large silver Kids Ride Free sticker on it, allows students to ride the Washington Metro, Metrobus, and the DC Circulator for free. The DC One Card Program officially terminated on October 1, 2018.


On the front of the standard SmarTrip card is a stylized picture of a Metrorail car and Metrobus in front of representations of the Washington Monument, United States Capitol, and stylized versions of classical architecture found in Washington, D.C. The Metro logo appears in the bottom left. A "Senior" SmarTrip is also available that automatically calculates applicable discounted fares for senior citizens (age 65+). The design is identical to the standard SmarTrip except that the card is printed in shades of bright yellow and brown, instead of blue and green. Since the Senior SmarTrip allows for discounted fares, the card may only be purchased in person with a valid ID from a Metro sales office or authorized vendor.


On March 27, 2016, Metro unveiled a new Smartrip card design, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Metrorail system opening.


Beginning November 2016, Metro Access cards, which permit use of Metro Access Paratransit and free trips on Metrobus and Metrorail, were replaced with a special personalized SmarTrip card with the user's photograph and the Metro Access logo appearing on the front of the card. A companion SmarTrip card is included to allow a companion to also ride free along with the disabled person.


The first two promotional SmarTrip cards were issued in 2008 to commemorate the opening of the newly built stadium of the Washington Nationals, Nationals Park. Special SmarTrip cards commemorating the inauguration of President Barack Obama were issued in January 2009 and 2013. In July 2013, a special July 4 commemorative SmarTrip card was introduced.


In June 2014, Metro celebrated the 125th anniversary of the National Zoo by issuing commemorative SmarTrip cards featuring "popular zoo baby residents."


In July 2014, a commemorative SmarTrip card was issued to celebrate the opening of the Silver Line.


An early criticism of the SmarTrip cards had been that they were only sold at suburban Metrorail stations, online, a few selected retailers, and Metro sales offices. However, in 2008, Metro reached an agreement with CVS/pharmacy to sell the cards at 187 DC-area locations in an effort to increase SmarTrip use. The SmarTrip cards are also sold at area grocery store chains. In late 2012 WMATA installed SmarTrip vending machines at all Metrorail stations.


A number of SmarTrip features that were supposed to be introduced in 2005 by SmarTrip's creator, Cubic Transportation Systems, were not fully implemented until 2012. Initially, riders could only add value to a SmarTrip card at Metrorail stations or by using cash while boarding a Metrobus. In November 2008, after years of delays, WMATA announced that customers would have the ability to add funds to their SmarTrip cards online by September 2009, but that deadline was missed. WMATA did launch SmarTrip's online reload feature in September 2011. WMATA allowed customers to load a seven-day unlimited Metrorail pass to their SmarTrip cards in April 2012.


All trips made with a SmarTrip card, with the exception of bus transfers and passes, are charged as individual one-way fares. WMATA offers discounted rail and bus passes to customers who make several trips in one day, or many trips, or many short trips, in a seven-day period or calendar month; however, SmarTrip users must manually load each transit pass onto their SmarTrip cards or sign up for an autoload of the pass in advance. This is in contrast to the Oyster card system on the London Underground, for example, where fares are automatically capped to ensure that customers never pay more than the cost of a one-day pass each day.


There have been complaints when customers' cards cease to work as a result of placing the card in proximity to metal or physically damaging the card. In such cases Metro guarantees that the fund balance on the card will be transferred to a new card. However, customers have complained that WMATA has not been processing such balance transfers promptly.


In a controversial move, WMATA announced that as part of a new cashless parking payment system, SmarTrip would be the only way to pay for parking at Metro-operated garages and lots effective June 28, 2004, after reports of widespread theft by Metro's parking contractor, Penn Parking.


The following is a list of transit systems that accept the SmarTrip card for payment. The Maryland Transit Administration's CharmCard uses a compatible payment system from the same manufacturer. A reciprocity agreement allows patrons to use either payment card to travel on any of the participating systems throughout the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.


The following systems serve the Baltimore–Washington Area, but do not currently accept SmarTrip or CharmCard as payment


The Compass Card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within San Diego County, California. It is administered by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and is valid on a number of different travel systems in San Diego County including MTS buses, the San Diego Trolley, North County Buses, the Coaster and the Sprinter.


The card and fare collection systems are manufactured by Cubic Transportation Systems, and SANDAG administers the Compass Call Center (CCC), a central call center for all agencies. The system is due to be phased out when its successor, Pronto launches at the start of planned fare changes in summer 2021.


Initially the San Diego Association of Governments only offered monthly passes on the compass card system-wide, and 14-day passes via telephone. Stored cash value cards were introduced in 2017, with plans in the future capable of automatically purchasing a day pass on the first tap.


Customers are able to perform the following transactions at the corresponding locations with a Compass Card as indicated below:


The following process takes place when a user taps their card on a reader:


The next behavior depends on the reader:


Read errors that are displayed on the reader screen can include, but are not limited to:


SANDAG offers the following benefits to all Compass Card users:


The SEPTA Key card is a smart card that is used for automated fare collection on the SEPTA public transportation network in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. It can be used throughout SEPTA's transit system (bus, trolley, subway, high speed line), and on Regional Rail.


Before the Key System, SEPTA's fare collection was almost entirely manual. Monthly and Weekly passes were sold by a cashier at a SEPTA sales office. Tokens for bus, trolley and subway fare could be purchased from a vending machine at some stations, however exact change was required. Paper tickets and passes were used on Regional Rail. In 2012, SEPTA announced the Key project. In 2014, SEPTA began deploying the new hardware necessary for the system at each station.


The initial rollout of the key card on transit services began with an early adoption program starting on June 13, 2016. Sale of Key Cards was opened to the public on February 9, 2017. As of June 1, 2017, weekly and monthly TransPasses (for urban transit, distinct from the TrailPasses for SEPTA Regional Rail) were no longer available in the old format, and users of those passes had to have a Key Card. However, the sale of weekly TransPass at third-party locations continued until July 30th, 2018. The sale of monthly TransPasses at third-party locations also ended in July 2018.


A card can be loaded with a weekly, monthly or single day pass. Unlike the older paper passes, SEPTA Key imposes a limit on how many trips a rider can take on a pass (56 for a weekly pass, 240 for a monthly pass, 8 for a One Day Convenience Pass, and 10 for a One Day Independence Pass). This is designed to prevent sharing of cards. The system also has a "Travel Wallet" feature in which riders can load money on the card and have the fare for each trip deducted from the balance when the card is presented. The Travel Wallet fare is discounted from the cash fare and costs the same as a token on transit and a ticket purchased in advance on Regional Rail.


The system was designed to keep most of SEPTA's existing fare collection practices in place. For example, the system can automatically detect if a rider is transferring from another route and charge the transfer fee instead of the full fare.


SEPTA Key is accepted on all SEPTA rapid transit lines (Broad Street, Market-Frankford, Norristown), buses, trolleys, trackless trolleys, and Regional Rail. SEPTA Key cards were formerly accepted on DART First State buses in northern New Castle County, Delaware. Starting January 1, 2021, SEPTA Key cards were no longer accepted on DART First State buses because the fareboxes cannot read the card to confirm the purchase of a TrailPass and due to widespread fraudulent use.


In 2007, SEPTA announced a plan to award a contract for an updated fare payment system by the end of the year. At the time, it was estimated the project would take about three years and cost approximately $100 million, based on the implementation of similar fare payment systems in other cities. After the bid deadline for contractors was extended several times, in 2011 the SEPTA Board awarded a $129.5 million contract to ACS Transport Solutions Group, a division of Xerox, with 2013 as a target date for completing the implementation.


By 2013, the project was said to be a few months behind schedule, with SEPTA's Chief Officer of New Payment Technology John McGee stating "That ball of steam isn't as large as we'd like, but we're still moving along." Roll out was expected first on SEPTA Regional Rail, with transit service to follow.


By 2019, total cost of the primary contract was $192.5 million, about $70 million more than planned.


, the total cost was $193.3 million.


The EASY Card system is a series of linked contactless smartcard systems used by Miami-Dade Transit and South Florida Regional Transportation Authority in the South Florida area. The Easy Card allows for electronic payment on multiple public transport systems including Miami Metrorail, rapid transit rail system; Tri-Rail, commuter rail system; and Metrobus. Other public transportation agencies in the South Florida area which may eventually join the system include Broward County Transit as well as Palm Tran.


While both the Miami-Dade Transit as well as the SFRTA fare collection systems were installed by Cubic Transportation Systems, combined they are the first multiple agency regional system in the United States that interoperates through the American Public Transportation Association's Contactless Fare Media Standard.


While the system as a whole is referred to as the "Easy Card" system, there actually is more than one type of contactless smartcard media in use:


In addition to the above, SFRTA uses their Easy Card ticket machines to print out purely paper tickets that lack any smartcard media for same-day and/or weekend usage. If a paper ticket user wishes to transfer to Metrorail, they must obtain an EASY Card or EASY Ticket at either the Tri-Rail and Metrorail transfer station or the Miami Airport station.


While Miami-Dade Transit ticket machines provide both EASY Cards as well as EASY Tickets, SFRTA/Tri-Rail ticket machines provide only EASY Cards. Ticket agents at attended Tri-Rail stations are able to provide EASY Tickets.


EASY Cards as well as related smartcard media can be used on the following systems:


Miami-Dade County is working on an interoperability agreement with Broward County Transit and PalmTran of Palm Beach County; however these systems do not yet accept Easy Cards for payment


An EASY card or ticket purchased from any participating agency or at a Ticket Vending Machine at any metrorail station may be used on any participating system, provided it is loaded with the proper fare or has a sufficient balance in it.


Metrobus users only have to tap their Easy Card or Easy Ticket once on a fare validator when boarding a bus. Metrorail users have to tap their card or ticket when entering the faregates for a Metrorail station, as well as when leaving them. Tri-Rail users have to tap their card or ticket on ticket validators found at every Tri-Rail station platform prior to entering and after exiting a train.


Systems which require entry and exit taps must see the exit tap of a card in order to issue a transfer. Transfer discounts within Miami-Dade Transit as well as from Tri-Rail to Miami-Dade Transit are only available when an EASY card or ticket is used to pay the fare both on the system/vehicle being transferred to, as well as the one previously used.


In addition to the Easy Card system, Miami-Dade Transit implemented a system called Easy Pay, which you can download via App Store or Google Play, which allows payment of transit fares, and soon college easy ticket, using a smartphone. Once a fare has been purchased and activated, a QR barcode is generated containing the fare that can be scanned at selected turnstiles or shown to bus drivers.


Additional features that are in the application include 7-day, 1-day, eventually college easy tickets, and monthly passes, along with the ability to reload and view balance of an Easy Card.


Implemented in August 2019, riders are able to use their Visa, Mastercard, or AMEX contactless credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay at the fare gates on the Metrorail. As of February 2020, contactless bank cards and digital wallets are also accepted on Metrobuses.


The MetroCard is a magnetic stripe card used for fare payment on transportation in the New York City area. It is the primary payment method for the New York City Subway; New York City Transit buses, including routes operated by Academy Bus under contract to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and MTA buses; Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) systems; the PATH train system; the Roosevelt Island Tramway; AirTrain JFK; and Westchester County's Bee-Line Bus System.


The card was introduced in 1993 to enhance the technology of the transit system and eliminate the burden of carrying and collecting tokens. The MTA discontinued the use of tokens in the subway on May 3, 2003, and on buses on December 31, 2003. The MetroCard is expected to be phased out by 2023. It will be replaced by OMNY, a contactless payment system where riders pay for their fare by waving or tapping credit or debit bank cards, smartphones, or MTA-issued contactless smart cards.


The MetroCard is managed by a division of the MTA known as Revenue Control, MetroCard Sales, which is part of the Office of the Executive Vice President. The MetroCard Vending Machines are manufactured by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc.


As of early 2019, the direct costs of the MetroCard system had totaled $1.5 Billion.


On October 30, 1992, the installation of Automated Fare Collection turnstiles began. The farecard system was given the name MetroCard by April 1993. At the time, the first subway stations were supposed to receive MetroCard-compatible turnstiles before year's end, and buses were scheduled to be retrofitted with MetroCard collection equipment by late 1995. On June 1, 1993, MTA distributed 3,000 MetroCards in the first major test of the technology for the entire subway and bus systems. Less than a year later, on January 6, 1994, MetroCard-compatible turnstiles opened at Wall Street on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line () and Whitehall Street–South Ferry on the BMT Broadway Line (). All MetroCard turnstiles were installed by May 14, 1997, when the entire bus and subway system accepted MetroCard.


On September 28, 1995, buses on Staten Island started accepting MetroCard, and by the end of 1995, MetroCard was accepted on all New York City Transit buses.


The first MetroCard Vending Machines (MVMs) were installed on January 25, 1999 in two stations, and by the end of 1999 347 MVMs were in service at 74 stations. On April 13, 2003, tokens were no longer sold. Starting May 4, 2003, tokens were no longer accepted, except on buses. The following fare increases were implemented:


On February 27, 2005, another fare hike occurred:


On March 2, 2008, another set of fare increases was implemented:


On June 28, 2009, the agency had its second fare hike in as many years:


On December 30, 2010, the bonus value for Pay-Per-Ride decreased to 7% for every $10, and the 1-Day Fun Pass and the 14-Day Unlimited Ride were discontinued altogether. Additionally:


In 2012, the MTA allowed advertisements to be printed on the fronts of MetroCards. The backs of MetroCards had already been used for advertisements since 1995. This change meant that advertisers could remove the MTA logo from the fronts of MetroCards.


As a result of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, three free transfers were offered on the MetroCard. The first was between the Q22, the Q35, and the at the Flatbush Avenue–Brooklyn College station. The second between the Q22, either the Q52 Limited or the Q53 Limited, and the at the Rockaway Boulevard station. Finally, a three-hour transfer window applied from transfers from any subway station to the Q22 or Q113 routes of MTA Bus, and then to the n31, n32, and n33 routes of NICE.


On December 19, 2012, the MTA voted for the following fare increases:


Starting February 20, 2013, people were able to refill cards with both time and value, so that when a MetroCard is filled with both an unlimited card and fare value, the unlimited ride portion is used first where applicable. If not started already, the unlimited ride period would begin when the card is next used, and when the unlimited period expires, the regular fare would be charged. On March 3, 2013, a $1 fee was imposed on new card purchases in-system in order to reduce the number of discarded MetroCards. However, MetroCards purchased through the Extended Sales retail network carry no new card fee.


On March 22, 2015, the MTA voted for the following fare increases:


On March 19, 2017, the following fare increases went into place:


On October 23, 2017, it was announced that the MetroCard would be phased out and replaced by OMNY, a contactless fare payment system also by Cubic, with fare payment being made using Apple Pay, Google Wallet, debit/credit cards with near-field communication enabled, or radio-frequency identification cards. All buses and subway stations would use the OMNY system by 2020. However, support of the MetroCard is slated to remain until 2023.


On April 21, 2019 the following fare increases went into place:


During a swipe, the MetroCard is read, re-written to, then check-read to verify correct encoding.


The older blue MetroCards were not capable of the many kinds of fare options that the gold ones currently offer. The format of the magnetic stripe used by the blue MetroCard offered very little other than the standard pay-per-swipe fare. Also, gold MetroCards allow groups of people (up to four) to ride together using a single pay-per-swipe MetroCard. The gold MetroCard keeps track of the number of swipes at a location in order to allow those same number of people to transfer at a subsequent location, if applicable. The MetroCard system was designed to ensure backward compatibility, which allowed a smooth transition from the blue format to gold.


Cubic later used the proprietary MetroCard platform to create the Chicago Card and Tren Urbano's fare card, which are physically identical to the MetroCard except for the labeling.


The SingleRide Ticket (introduced to replace subway tokens and single cash fares) is a piece of paper with a magnetic strip on the front, and with the date and time of purchase stamped on the back. They cost $3.00 for one subway or local bus ride, with one free transfer allowed between buses, issued by the bus operator upon request. SingleRide Tickets do not allow transfers between subways and buses. SingleRide tickets can only be purchased at MetroCard Vending Machines, which are usually located within subway stations, and expire two hours from time of purchase. Because of these limitations, SingleRide Tickets are not frequently used, having been used by only 3% of subway riders in 2009.


Although the Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard is accepted on PATH, the regular SingleRide ticket is not. However, a PATH SingleRide ticket is available from MVMs in PATH stations for $2.75, valid for 2 hours and only on PATH. PATH also accepts 2-Trip PATH MetroCards, which cost $5.50 and are also valid only on PATH.


The Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard can be filled with an initial value in any increment between $5.50 and $80, though vending machines only sell values in multiples of 5 cents. Cards can be refilled in 1 cent increments at station booths (formerly called token booths), and in 5 cent increments at vending machines. A MetroCard holder can spend up to $80 in one transaction and up to a total value of $100. Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards can also be filled with unlimited ride time in 7- or 30-day increments.


The Pay-Per Ride MetroCard is accepted on the New York City Subway; MTA express, local, limited, and Select buses; and the Staten Island Railway. Outside agencies also accept the MetroCard, including the Staten Island express bus routes operated by Academy Bus; the Nassau Inter-County Express; the PATH, operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; the AirTrain JFK, operated by the Port Authority; the Roosevelt Island Tramway; and the Westchester County Bee-Line Bus System. However, PATH does not accept reduced fare MetroCard.


Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards deduct different values depending on which service is used. Subway, Staten Island Railway, Roosevelt Island Tramway, or local/limited/Select bus uses, cost $2.75 per trip and usually allow one valid transfer, though two transfers may be allowed depending on which routes are being used (see below). Although the PATH charges $2.75 as well, it does not offer any free transfers. A ride on an MTA or Academy express bus costs $6.50, with transfers allowed to or from the subway, Staten Island Railway, or non-express MTA buses. The BxM4C Bee-Line Bus deducts $7.50 per trip, and no free or discounted transfers are allowed to or from that route. The AirTrain JFK costs $7.75 per trip if the passenger enters or leaves at Jamaica or Howard Beach–JFK Airport stations.


Transfers are available within two hours of initial entry, with the following structure:


Card balance may be transferred to a new card at any station booth, up to one year after expiration. Card balances from multiple cards may also be combined at station booths. Expired cards can also be replaced at vending machines, or by mailing the MetroCard to the MTA up to two years after expiration.


The AirTrain JFK Discount MetroCard offers 10 trips on AirTrain JFK at $25. This card can only be purchased at specially marked MetroCard Vending Machines. It can be refilled, and once done so, becomes a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard. However, although the AirTrain fare is also payable using a regular Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, no discount is given for Pay-Per-Ride cards. There is also an unlimited-ride 30-day card that costs $40 and is only valid on AirTrain JFK.


, four types of Unlimited-ride MetroCards are sold:


Standard 7- and 30-day unlimited cards are accepted on MTA New York City Subway; non-express buses from either the MTA, NICE, or Bee-Line; the Roosevelt Island Tramway; and the Staten Island Railway. 7-Day Express Bus Plus is accepted on Academy Bus and MTA express buses. The AirTrain JFK only accepts the Unlimited AirTrain JFK card.


The Student MetroCard is issued to New York City public and private school students who live within the city limits. It allows free access to the NYCT buses and trains, depending on the distance traveled between their school and their home. The card program is managed by the NYCDOE Office of Pupil Transportation. In Nassau County, Student MetroCards are issued by individual schools which have pre-paid for the cards.


Students who receive a student MetroCard must live:


In May 2019, the MTA voted to phase out the half-fare student MetroCard and distribute only full-fare cards for students who qualify for a MetroCard.


This type of card is accepted everywhere the Pay-Per-Ride or time-based MetroCard is, with two exceptions: it is not valid on the PATH, and it is not valid for ticket purchase on New York City-bound LIRR and Metro-North trains in the morning. Reduced-Fare MetroCards (in any variety) are also not accepted at PATH stations. Reduced fare customers who do not have a MetroCard may purchase a full-fare round trip MetroCard from a subway station agent by presenting proof of eligibility.


This type of card caused complaints because it took up to three months to replace.


The Fair Fares MetroCard pilot program was implemented in January 2019. These are distributed by Fair Fares NYC, which sends letters to eligible residents that meet the income criteria, including veteran students, New York City Housing Authority residents, City University of New York students, and residents who receive benefits from the Department of Social Services. These residents must then register online to receive the Fair Fare MetroCard. Holders of the Fair Fare MetroCard can purchase Pay-Per-Ride or time-based fares at half the regular price. This type of card is accepted only on local/limited/Select buses, the subway, and the Staten Island Railway.


An emergency MetroCard is carried by police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel while on duty so they can access the subway system during an emergency.


The MetroCard Bus Transfer is issued upon request to passengers who pay cash fares on buses accepting MetroCard. The transfer is inserted into the fare box on the second bus, which retains it. Westchester Bee Line bus system and Nassau Inter-County Express and MTA New York City Transit bus is free to transfer from one bus to another bus that is accepted with MetroCard. The bus transfer is paper like the SingleRide Metrocard. This transfer does not grant cash customers subway access.


For suburban transfers, if the fare paid to get the transfer is less than that required on the second bus, the difference must be paid on boarding. For transfers from NICE to New York City Transit, no step up fee is required.


The predecessor to the MetroCard bus transfer was the "original" bus transfer. These paper tickets allowed bus to bus transfers. Available in pads of several different colors for use at different times, boroughs or directions, they would be torn at a certain time-marked line to indicate when the transfer would expire. A version of this still exists today as the "General Order Transfer" (aka "block ticket") which is provided to customers as they leave the subway system during service disruptions to re-enter the system at another point (often via a shuttle bus).


All new MetroCard purchases are charged a $1 fee, except to reduced fare customers and those exchanging damaged/expired cards. This purchase fee does not apply to MetroCard refills.


Booths staffed by MTA station agents (at specified time periods) are located in all MTA subway stations. Every type of MetroCard can be purchased at a booth, with the exception of the SingleRide ticket (purchased at the MetroCard Vending Machine) and MetroCards specific to other transit systems (AirTrain JFK and PATH). All booth transactions must be in cash.


MetroCard Vending Machines (MVMs) are located in all subway stations, PATH stations (with the added ability to reload SmartLink cards), Staten Island Ferry terminals, Roosevelt Island Tramway stations, and the Hempstead Transit Center, Eltingville Transit Center, and Central Terminal at LaGuardia Airport.


A number of MetroCard sales vans and a MetroCard bus (a retired bus converted for sales duty) routinely travel to specific locations in New York City and Westchester County, stopping for a day (or half a day) at the announced locations. MetroCards can be purchased or refilled directly from these vehicles. Reduced-fare MetroCard applications can also be processed on the bus, including taking photographs for these cards.


The MetroCard van serves all five boroughs and Westchester County, while the MetroCard bus serves Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, and parts of Brooklyn.


Vendors can apply to sell MTA fare media at their business. Only presealed, prevalued cards are available, and no fee is charged. A comprehensive listing of neighborhood MetroCard merchants can be found on the MTA website.


Ticket vending machines (TVMs) for the MTA's two commuter railroad systems, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, offer the option to purchase combined tickets/passes and MetroCards. A $5.50 MetroCard is available with a round-trip ticket, and a $50 MetroCard is available with a monthly pass. In addition, the machines sell separate $25 MetroCards. TVMs at Jamaica station and Penn Station sell AirTrain JFK monthly passes on the back of LIRR tickets. All cards sold from these machines are of thick paper stock, not the normal plastic.


Beginning in 2007, with the start of the S89 bus service, a combined Hudson–Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) monthly pass and monthly MetroCard became available at NJ Transit ticket vending machines at HBLR stations.


In 2006, the MTA and Port Authority announced plans to replace the magnetic strip with smart cards.


On July 1, 2006, MTA launched a six-month pilot program to test the new contact-less smart card fare collection system, initially ending on December 31, 2006 but extended until May 31, 2007. This program was tested at all stations on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and at four stations in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. The testing system utilized Citibank MasterCard's Paypass keytags. This smart card system was intended to ease congestion near the fare control area by reducing time spent paying for fare. MTA and other transportation authorities in the region said they would eventually implement it system-wide.


In October 2017, MTA signed a $573 million contract with Cubic Transportation Systems for OMNY (short for One Metro New York), a new fare payment system. This will use the contactless payment system, with riders waving or tapping credit or debit bank cards, smartphones, and/or MTA-issued smart cards to pay their fare. This contactless system was originally developed by Transport for London at a cost of £11 million (at the time equivalent to around $14 million), before being licensed to Cubic for worldwide sale. MTA expects to spend at least six years rolling out the system, with new electronic readers and vending machines. The new fare system would be rolled out on a limited basis in May 2019. By 2023, the MetroCard would be phased out entirely.


The MetroCard system is susceptible to various types of unauthorized resale, colloquially known as "selling swipes".


At times, this may involve individuals charging to swipe another commuter into the subway system at a discount below the official fare, either by using an "unlimited ride" MetroCard, or by manipulating a spent MetroCard to obtain an extra, unpaid ride. A 2004 press release from New York State Senator Martin J. Golden claims these behaviors cost the MTA $260,000 a year.


So-called 'swipers' reportedly may secure customers by vandalizing the coin and bill acceptor mechanisms of metrocard vending machines Nearly half of broken vending machines were in Manhattan, and the MTA spent $26.5 million on MVM repairs as of 2017. An 18-minute delay between uses of an "unlimited ride" MetroCard at any given station, and the expense of unlimited ride MetroCards, have historically limited their use for selling swipes.


Criminal charges leveled against those using this bent-MetroCard technique have included petit larceny and, in a state law introduced specifically to target swipers in the year 2006, with "unauthorized sale of transportation services." As early as 2001, however, police and prosecutors began to charge people bending MetroCards to seek free rides (either to sell, or for personal use) with various forms of forgery.


A $1 fee on new MetroCards imposed in 2013 significantly curtailed the bent-MetroCard form of selling swipes. The fee incentivized riders to keep and refill their existing MetroCards, undermining the vast supply of discarded spent MetroCards from which swipers previously drew as their stock-in-trade. Nonetheless, people continue to sell swipes of bent MetroCards which have been discarded. Swipers continue to be prosecuted under forgery laws, according to research published in 2019.


Over the years, the MTA has issued limited-edition MetroCards in honor of certain events, people, or structures.


For much of the MetroCard's history, images were printed only on the back side of MetroCards. These have included cards with the Statue of Liberty, the New York City bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, a Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum exhibit, and the Circle Line ferry. Sporting events have also been commemorated, including the Subway Series, the 2014 Super Bowl, and the 2014–15 season of the Brooklyn Nets.


In 2017, the MTA started issuing Supreme-branded MetroCards at eight subway stations. The Supreme-branded cards proved popular, and there were reports that some were resold for hundreds of dollars.


The MTA started allowing front side advertising in 2012. One of the earlier front side designs was an I Love New York card first sold in October 2013. Three hundred thousand cards were printed in remembrance of Hurricane Sandy the previous year.


Starting in December 2018, the MTA started issuing 250,000 "Game of Thrones"-themed MetroCards at Grand Central–42nd Street, in honor of the show's final season. The cards came in four designs.


Starting in May 2019, coinciding with the opening of the Memorial Glade at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the MTA issued 250,000 MetroCards with images of first responders at the World Trade Center site after 9/11. The MetroCards were issued at ten subway stations: six in Lower Manhattan and four high-traffic stations in midtown and Brooklyn.


In June 2019, the MTA celebrated Stonewall 50 - WorldPride NYC 2019 with LGBT pride-themed MetroCards.


In November 2020, the MTA celebrated Veterans Day with Veterans Day themed MetroCards. The MetroCards were available at six stations: two in Brooklyn, one in Queens, two in Midtown Manhattan, and one in The Bronx.


OMNY ( , short for One Metro New York) is a contactless fare payment system, currently being implemented for use on public transit in New York City and the surrounding area. When OMNY is completely rolled out, it will replace the MetroCard on the New York City Subway, the Staten Island Railway, PATH trains, MTA buses, Bee-Line buses, and NICE buses. OMNY will also expand beyond the current scope of the MetroCard to the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad. As of December 31, 2020, OMNY is available on all MTA buses and at all subway stations.


The MetroCard, a magnetic stripe card, was first introduced in 1992 and was used to pay fares on MTA subways and buses, as well as on other networks such as the PATH train. Two limited contactless-payment trials were conducted around the New York City area in 2006 and in 2010. However, formal planning for a full replacement of the MetroCard did not start until 2016.


The OMNY system is designed by San Diego-based Cubic Transportation Systems, using technology licensed from Transport for London's Oyster card. OMNY began its public rollout in May 2019, with contactless bank cards and mobile payments accepted at select subway stations and on buses in Staten Island. The Staten Island Railway received OMNY readers in December 2019, and rollout on the New York City Subway and on MTA buses was completed on December 31, 2020, after having been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The MTA expects to begin offering OMNY contactless cards in early 2021, along with reduced-fare and time-based fare options. Full deployment to other NYC-area transit systems is expected by 2023, after which MetroCard will be completely phased out.


Subway tokens had been used as the MTA subway and bus systems' form of fare payment since the 1950s. MetroCards made by Cubic Transportation Systems started to replace the tokens in 1992; the MetroCards used magnetic stripes to encode the fare payment. By 2003, the MetroCard was the exclusive method of fare payment systemwide.


MasterCard and Citibank funded a trial of contactless payments, branded as PayPass. The trial was conducted at 25 subway stations, mostly on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, beginning in July 2006. The trial was limited to select Citibank cardholders, but it proved popular enough to be extended past its original end date of December 2006.


In light of the success of the first contactless payment trial in 2006, another trial was conducted from June to November 2010. The 2010 trial initially only supported MasterCard-branded cards, expanding to Visa PayWave cards in August. The 2010 trial eventually expanded to include multiple Manhattan bus routes, two New Jersey Transit bus routes, and most PATH stations.


In 2016, the MTA announced that it would begin designing a new contactless fare payment system to replace the MetroCard. The replacement system was initially planned for partial implementation in 2018 and full implementation by 2022. In October 2017, the MTA started installing eTix-compatible electronic ticketing turnstiles in 14 stations in Manhattan. The eTix system, already used on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, allows passengers to pay their fares using their phones. The system would originally be for MTA employees only.


On October 23, 2017, it was announced that the MetroCard would be phased out and replaced by a contactless fare payment system also by Cubic, with fare payment being made using Android Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, debit/credit cards with near-field communication enabled, or radio-frequency identification cards. The announcement called for a phased rollout, culminating in the discontinuation of the MetroCard by 2023. The replacement fare system was criticized because the new turnstiles could be hacked, thereby leaving credit card and phone information vulnerable to theft. The payment system would use technology licensed from Transport for London's Oyster card.


In June 2018, the MTA revised the timeline for implementation of the then-unnamed new payment system. The first stage of implementation would take place in May 2019. In the second stage, all subway stations would receive OMNY readers by October 2020, in preparation for the third stage, which involved the launch of a prepaid OMNY card by February 2021. The fourth stage involved the installation of OMNY vending machines by March 2022, and the MetroCard would be discontinued in 2023.


Initially, there were disagreements about what the payment system should be called; some executives wanted a "traditional" name that resembled the MetroCard's name, while others wanted more unusual names. Possible names included "MetroTap", "Tony", "Liberty" and "Pretzel". The name "OMNY" was eventually chosen as being "modern and universal". The OMNY name was announced in February 2019. "OMNY" is an acronym of "One Metro New York," intended to signify its eventual broad acceptance across the New York metropolitan area.


An internal trial launched in March 2019, involving over 1,100 MTA employees and 300 other participants. Over 1,200 readers were installed in subway stations and buses for the public trial, and the OMNY.info website was created. Weeks before the beginning of the public launch, $85.4 million had been spent on the project, out of a total budget of $644.7 million. The budget had risen to $677 million by June 2020 and to $732 million by November 2020.


At a presentation in May 2019, the MTA's Capital Program Oversight Committee specified the following items to be implemented at an unspecified future date: launch a mobile app, add OMNY readers to Access-a-Ride paratransit vehicles, and add readers on Select Bus Service buses to support all-door boarding. However, the committee expressed concerns that some bank cards would not be accepted, and that OMNY transactions could take longer than MetroCard transactions, increasing crowding at turnstiles.'All-door boarding at Select Bus Service routes with OMNY was to begin sometime in early 2020.