Tap-to-pay finally coming to the MBTA

The MBTA is finally going to roll out its contactless payment system.

Why it matters: The new system will allow riders to simply tap their credit cards or smartphones against new T gates and on-vehicle sensors to pay.

• It will bring Boston up to speed with most merchants and other transit systems that have embraced the tech.

It won't just be subway entry gates that accept tap payment.

• Riders can pay at sensors by every door on MBTA buses instead of the machine by the driver.
• The T hopes to have the same contactless system onboard commuter rail trains and ferries by the spring of 2026.

Zoom in: T managers presented an update on the project to the agency's board yesterday, saying the first phase will launch this summer.

• Subway stations, Green Line trolleys and all buses will be equipped by the end of the summer, according to General Manager Phillip Eng.
• New Charlie Cards and vending machines compatible with the new system will allow riders to keep using the customary plastic tap pass or pre-loaded card.

The big picture: The project has been plagued by six years of delays and cost overruns.

• The budget bloated from $700 million to nearly $1 billion.
• New York's subway has already seen 1 billion tap payments on its OMNY system since it launched in 2019.
• New York paid the same contractor $772 million for similar tech in a much larger transit system.

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