Florida study uses smart cards for various services

The Orlando Regional Alliance for Next Generation Electronic payment Systems (ORANGES), an experimental effort through the Orlando-Orange County Expressway, LYNX and the City of Orlando Parking Bureau, will be unveiled in the coming weeks in Central Florida. ORANGES, sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration, uses smart card technology, which allows one method of payment for tolls, bus fare and parking garages. The experiment will undergo several phases of testing to determine its potential long-term viability for commuters. The first phase, which is nearing completion, consists of testing the system in a laboratory setting to ensure the technology works before installing it for public use. During the second phase, set to begin in July, approximately 1,000 volunteers will use an ORANGES smart card at designated locations to pay for parking, tolls and bus fare. ORANGES is the first study in the nation that involves a toll, transit and parking agency using multiple applications in one payment method and processing all transactions through a single source. For more information on the study, visit the ORANGES Website at www.centstobits.com