Biz Briefs covers the latest moves in the industry. Here's the latest from Cubic, Masabi, and ETA Transit Systems.

Cubic to Upgrade Minneapolis Metro Transit’s Fare System

Metro Transit of Minneapolis-St. Paul awarded a significant contract to Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) to upgrade and modernize the metropolitan region’s Go-To Contactless Fare System.

Leveraging Cubic’s Urban Mobility processing platform, Metro Transit’s 40 million annual riders will be able to tap their contactless bank cards, including those residing in Apple Pay and Google Pay, to seamlessly pay for fares with no need to separately procure a dedicated smart card or ticket.

Accordingly, for those riders not carrying or wishing to use such bank-issued products, the Go-To card will be enhanced via registration with a powerful account management system that will allow those users to load fare products such as stored value and period passes to their accounts through an enhanced range of channels including vending machines, the web, and retail outlets.

The new regional system is designed to ensure equity across all user demographics while providing the maximum level of convenience to visitors and occasional and everyday riders. The platform is also designed to support a range of open interfaces to allow for flexible extensions over time including more powerful smartphone utilities and integration with additional modalities such as microtransit, ride share, car share, and parking.

Ohio’s Richland County Taps ETA Transit for CAD/AVL

Mansfield, Ohio’s Richland County Transit (RCT) awarded a contract to ETA Transit Systems, including for a comprehensive Computer-Aided Dispatch/Automated Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) system, featuring:

• Dispatch and planning software for optimized route management.

• Powerful analytics tools for streamlined National Transit Database (NTD) reporting.

• Onboard announcement systems for improved rider communication.

• Real-time passenger information systems for enhanced rider experience.

The new CAD/AVL system will provide RCT with a centralized platform for managing its 19-bus fleet. Dispatchers will gain real-time visibility into vehicle location, allowing them to optimize routes, respond to disruptions efficiently, and improve on-time performance.

NEORide, Partners Add ABT at Butler County

NEORide, the Council of Governments representing 29 transit agencies across seven states, together with Masabi and Transit, announced the launch of Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) for Hamilton, Ohio’s Butler County Regional Transit Authority.

The agency is a part of EZfare, the largest regional fare payment solution in the U.S. today used by transit agencies across Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

BCRTA riders on the Cincylink and BGo services can now simply scan the EZfare app when boarding the bus or use EZfare smart cards to tap and ride. This revolutionary solution simplifies journeys across the region, eliminating the need to buy tickets ahead of time or from multiple systems, and replacing it with a simple tap of a phone or card.

Thanks to monthly fare capping, CincyLink riders will get the best fares available and never pay more than $120 a month — which corresponds to the price of a monthly pass. This demonstrates a commitment by BCRTA to keeping public transit accessible and convenient for all riders, recognizing its fundamental role in enabling economic and social growth.