ADVANCED FARE PAYMENT MEDIA

THE SBIR PROGRAM SOLICITATION PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP A FARE PAYMENT SYSTEM BASED ON ADVANCED FARE PAYMENT MEDIA TO MEET THE NEEDS OF TRANSIT PATRONS AND SYSTEMS IN THE 1990S. THE SOLICITATION STATED THE NEW MEDIASHOULD: BE COST EFFECTIVE, PERMIT PAYMENT OF ZONAL FARES, INCREASE FLEXIBILITY IN PAYMENT SCHEDULES AND METHODS, AND IMPROVE REVENUE SECURITY AND PROCESSING CAPABILITY. A MODERN TRANSIT SYSTEM MEDIA ALSO MUST HAVE INTERMODAL APPLICABILITY, INCREASE THROUGHPUT TO ELIMINATE PATRON BACKUPS AND BE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE, EASY TO USE AND ACCEPTED BY THE PUBLIC. BECAUSE SMART CARDS USED BY THEMSELVES HAVE THROUGHPUT SHORTCOMINGS, THE PROJECT OBJECTIVE IS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH TO DEMONSTRATE THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF MEDIA INCORPORATING SMART CARD WITHRADIO FREQUENCY (RF) OR AUTOMATIC VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION (AVI) TECHNOLOGY FOR TRANSIT SYSTEM PURPOSES. THIS APPROACHSHOULD MEET REQUIREMENTS STATED ABOVE AND IMPROVE RIDERSHIP BY ENHANCING PATRON CONVENIENCE. PHASE I WILL BEGIN WITH RESEARCH INTO EXISTING ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS USING ADVANCED MEDIA TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CURRENT FINDINGS AND EXPERIENCE. RESEARCH IN RF AND AVI TECHNOLOGY AGAINST TECHNICAL QUESTIONS THE PROPOSAL ENUMERATES WILL BE PURSUED WITH ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM APPROACH AND ITS TECHNICALFEASIBILITY. PHASE II WILL DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE THE TECHNOLOGY.