Effective April 1, 2009, Long Beach (Calif.) Transit (LBT) has begun using newly designed, electronically activated magnetic stripe cards that replace all current passes. This new technology is expected to facilitate easier boarding, allow for better tracking of ridership patterns for future transit planning, and enable customers to personalize fare passes to their budget and transit needs.

“This is valuable technology and a great service we can provide to our customers. Long Beach Transit will be even better equipped to accommodate the community’s travel needs through detailed service planning and a range of fare products closely tied to customers’ transit requirements,” said Larry Jackson, LBT’s CEO.

With the introduction of a new 30-Day Pass that replaces former Monthly Passes, and the new 5-Day Pass, LBT customers will be able to more effectively budget their transit needs using a validation system made possible by magnetic stripe card technology. Fare passes will be activated the first time they are used onboard LBT buses, not on the date of purchase, and will continue to be active for the specified number of consecutive days. Expiration dates will automatically print on the pass during validation in the farebox upon first use.

Former Monthly Pass purchase times were limited, and passes could only be used within a specified calendar month. Now, the new 30-Day Pass is no longer tied to a calendar month. 5-Day Passes offer customer convenience by allowing for a targeted transit purchase based on the frequency with which they ride.