Laketran introduces EZfare smartcards and transit vending machines to streamline fare collection

Laketran has introduced new EZfare smartcards and transit vending machines, expanding convenient payment options for riders who prefer cash or do not use smartphones. 

The transit vending machines have been installed at three transit centers in Wickliffe, Painesville and Lakeland Community College, as well as its Mentor Park-n-Ride in Northeast Ohio. The machines allow customers to add stored value or passes to their EZfare account with cash and purchase EZfare smartcards directly onsite. EZfare smartcards are available for purchase at the vending machines and will eventually be available to purchase at Laketran Headquarters and on the Laketran website. 

“While most customers use a credit card or digital wallet to pay their fare on EZfare, Laketran wants to make the convenience of the app available to our cash-paying customers and individuals who aren’t comfortable using a mobile device,” said Laketran CEO Ben Capelle. 

According to the agency, the initiative is the latest in its multi-year effort to enhance fare payment accessibility and streamline operations. In 2019, Laketran introduced the EZfare mobile ticketing app, giving customers a cashless option for purchasing and storing their bus passes, and in 2021, expanded EZfare to serve unbanked and cash-preferred riders by allowing customers to load cash onto their EZfare accounts at more than 70 retail outlets across the region that offer Vanilla Direct. 

Laketran rolled out Tap & Ride in 2023, adding account-based ticketing on the app. The upgrade offers the ability to store funds on the app, as riders scan a QR code in the app to debit their fare when boarding the bus.    

“This technology not only provides more fare options for our customers, but it also helps reduce the cost of our fare collection from an operating expense,” Capelle said. “Our ultimate goal is to eliminate the need to replace our costly electronic fareboxes that are on over 40 buses with these five transit vending machines. The vending machines require significantly less maintenance, and we’ll have fewer to operate.”