Cubic, MARTA negotiating smart card contract

Cubic Transportation Systems has begun negotiations with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) for a contract, valued at $100 million, to replace the city's outdated fare collection system with smart card technology. The MARTA system could eventually be linked to other Atlanta-area transit agencies, as well as toll roads and airport parking facilities providing intermodal fare collection in the area. Cubic is already creating such a regional system in the Washington, D.C., area, where smart cards are used for rail, bus and parking. Cubic expects negotiations with MARTA to be completed by the end of the summer.