Changes planned in farebox, passenger counting system
Marin Transit staffers are recommending transitioning to a new cash farebox and automated passenger counting system in phases over the next two years.
The new devices will replace the Genfare fareboxes aboard buses today because they are out of production. Beginning in 2025, they will no longer be serviceable.
The draft recommendation was presented to the board of directors at a meeting Monday.
Cathleen Sullivan, Marin Transit director of planning, said this year, the Clipper card system is expected to go through a major upgrade — making cashless payments faster and more convenient.
About 11% of Marin Transit riders use the Clipper card, Sullivan said. The rest pay cash or use other fare products, such as change cards or passes.
A gradual switch to the new cash fare drop box could give Marin Transit about a year after the Clipper 2.0 rollout “to do a big push on Clipper and see what kind of uptake we have,” Sullivan said.
“It will help inform some of the fare policy choices that we have to make,” Sullivan said.
For example, cash riders today are given paper transfers printed straight from the farebox. The new cash drop boxes won't have that technology, she said.
A survey of riders concluded that the biggest challenge of transitioning riders from using cash is that its habitual, Sullivan said.
“Cash is super easy, it's simple, they understand it, they understand how much they're paying,” she said.
After pushing Clipper for a year, “and if we still see a fair share of people needing cash transfers, then we can figure out what the substitute cash transfer mechanism is,” Sullivan said. “If we get a lot of people onto Clipper, maybe that won't be needed.”
Novato resident Anthony Nachor said he has questions.