Cubic wins $15M South Florida smart card contract
Tri-Rail, the commuter rail service connecting Palm Beach and Broward Counties with Miami-Dade County, will be the first transit agency to join in the creation of a South Florida regional system, giving Floridians the ability to use one fare card — a smart card — to travel on both systems. Palm Tran and Broward County Transit are expected to join later.
Cubic Transportation Systems Inc., the transportation business unit of Cubic Corp., has been awarded a $15 million contract to design, deliver and provide services for a new smart card ticketing and revenue management system for the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), which will be interoperable with Miami-Dade County's new EASY CARD system.
Tri-Rail, the commuter rail service connecting Palm Beach and Broward Counties with Miami-Dade County, will be the first transit agency to join in the creation of a South Florida regional system, giving Floridians the ability to use one fare card — a smart card — to travel on both systems. Palm Tran and Broward County Transit are expected to join later.
Tri-Rail's transaction monitoring, processing, settlement and reporting will be handled by the Miami-Dade Transit through the back-office system of Cubic's Nextfare open software and hardware platform. Nextfare integrates a business management system and passenger devices for smart card issuing, processing and validating. The open design enables multiple agencies in a region to share resources while keeping all proprietary information separate and secure, giving agencies a way to reduce costs. Examples of regional systems where Cubic's Nextfare systems are in use are the greater Los Angeles area, Atlanta, and Brisbane, Australia.
Miami-Dade Transit's EASY CARD, which officially launched in October, was built, integrated and fully operational across all bus and rail services within 15 months, an accomplishment owing to the increasing maturity of Nextfare, which has been fielded by more than a dozen transit agencies around the world.
The SFRTA system will process smart cards and printed tickets and will encompass 76 ticket vending machines, 85 station validators, six ticket office machines, and 60 handheld units.
The SFRTA-Miami Dade Transit interoperability will create the first multi-agency regional system that is compliant with APTA's Contactless Fare Media Standard that has been adopted in public transport as the national standard.
More Bus
Frontrunner Bus Group Expands with New Massachusetts Headquarters
The significantly larger facility will provide the infrastructure needed to support the company’s growing workforce, advanced technologies, and expanding product line.
Read More →
Joshua Schank on Transportation Innovation, Risk, and the Future of Mobility
In this edition of METROspectives, Joshua Schank discusses lessons from launching LA Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation, the challenges of advancing new mobility technologies, and much more.
Read More →
Reinventing Fleet Maintenance with Real-time Visibility and AI
Transit leaders need to know what needs fixing, where to look, who is responsible, when work is completed, and what it costs without having to chase information across disconnected systems.
Read More →
SamTrans Sets Priorities for Potential Connect Bay Area Revenue
The board-approved framework allocates future funding to maintaining service, rider improvements, equity initiatives, and infrastructure repairs.
Read More →
When Routine Fails: How Public Transit Must Adapt for the World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will test transit agencies’ ability to manage unpredictable travel patterns, making real-time data and operational flexibility critical to moving millions of visitors efficiently.
Read More →
Photo Highlights from APTA's 2026 Mobility Conference
The photo gallery captures scenes from the conference, including the International Bus Roadeo, exhibit hall activities, the Bus Showcase, and much more.
Read More →
Chicago's NITA Act Moves Into Next Phase as Service Improvements Begin
Rider-focused improvements will begin rolling out across the system immediately as CTA, Metra, and Pace increase service this summer in the six-county region.
Read More →
Philadelphia's SEPTA Approves Annual Transit Service Plan
Between 2021 and 2024, SEPTA held more than 200 public meetings — including 144 in-person sessions — throughout the SEPTA service region.
Read More →
A True Low-Floor Minibus Design Delivers Better Accessibility and Efficiency for Everyone
As transit demands evolve, so should your fleet. Download the whitepaper to see how the Low-Floor Frontrunner Minibus compares to traditional options.
Read More →
WMATA Debuts 'Fares Pay for Service' Awareness Campaign
The campaign was highlighted during a media event at the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center in Silver Spring, where WMATA’s GM/CEO Randy Clarke joined Metro Transit Police officers, WMATA management team, board members, and staff to expand fare enforcement and customer education efforts on Metro Bus routes throughout the region.
Read More →