22 public transit agencies serving the San Francisco bay area will soon be able to incorporate tap-and-go mobile payments through the Clipper card.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which oversees BART, Muni, CalTrain and other agencies in its nine-county jurisdiction, has signed a $394 million contract with Cubic Transporation Systems to execute upgrades on the current fare collection system including instant online card reloads, a better Clipper mobile app and new gates with readers that will be able to take contactless bank cards.
Mobile payment systems like Apple Pay and Google Pay can also be accepted, but it will be contingent on individual agencies to accept them.
The upgrades will occur starting in 2019 and rolling out over 5 years. Cubic, which currently operates the Clipper system, will start a new 10-year management term from 2022.
Cubic has been responsible for fare collection modernization in London and has active work contracts in Boston, Los Angeles and New York.
