INIT, Innovations in Transportation Inc. was contracted by the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) to deliver the next generation ORCA electronic fare system for the Central Puget Sound Region.

The next-generation ORCA system will revolutionize the Central Puget Sound’s transit customer experience by providing real-time account-management and fare processing, as well as the opportunity for customers to instantly add value to their account and to use mobile devices to pay fares.

INIT will replace the legacy ORCA system with a modern, account-based and open architecture fare system designed for multiple modes of transportation, including fixed-route buses, light rail, commuter rail, streetcars, ferries, and water taxis. Sound Transit is procuring the ORCA system on behalf of the member agencies: Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, and Washington State Ferries.

The next gen ORCA system will be comprised of approximately 2,900 onboard fare validators and driver displays, 1,000 wayside station fare validators, and over 250 fare vending machines. INIT fare validators are PCI- and EMV-certified for the acceptance of contactless cards as well as virtual cards stored in a mobile app.

INIT will be expanding its operations by opening a development center in the Pacific Northwest as part of this project and to help further serve growing project needs up and down the West Coast.

The core of the next-gen ORCA system will be INIT’s central management tool, MOBILEvario. MOBILEvario will manage and process fares in real-time, recognize and process revenue-sharing, as well as manage accounts and automate reconciliation for all seven agencies.

INIT’s open architecture platform will also allow for additional transport solutions such as bike-share, car-share, and Transportation Network Companies to fully integrate with the next gen ORCA system in future project phases, providing Central Puget Sound transportation customers with options for a full end-to-end mobility solution.