HART and PSTA have recently announce the first peek at their long-anticipated regional fare collection system, called Flamingo Fares Tampa Bay, which will allow patrons to travel throughout the greater Tampa Bay area using a single fare processing system.
After two years of careful planning and development, a pilot program introduction of the new mobile app for smart phones is scheduled to run from September 5, 2016 to March 4, 2017. HART and PSTA will conduct a test of the new system that will provide riders a new way to pay for transit fares, and seamlessly travel throughout the region from system to system.
"This is one way that we can improve the transportation experience for our riders," said Jeff Seward, HART CFO. "This is a complex project bringing together different fare types, which is why we want to see where the glitches are before rolling out the mobile payment technology on a broader scale."
"Today, we take a giant step forward for the regionalization of transit in the Tampa Bay area," said PSTA CEO Brad Miller. "This is only the beginning of what is going to be a very bright future for public transit innovative technology in both Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties."
To pay with Flamingo Fares Tampa Bay, customers download an app similar to the one Starbucks uses to enable its customers to pay quickly and digitally. Patrons simply purchase a ticket on the app and show the screen to the Bus Operator upon boarding the vehicle. The mobile payment app will be free to download and limited to the iPhone App Store and Android Google Play. Cash will continue to be accepted on both transit systems, but with a smartphone app patrons no longer have to worry about carrying the correct change or buying separate fares for different legs of their trip.
The new technology is currently in operation elsewhere in the U.S. and around the world. Soon it will bring HART and PSTA into the future by providing easier, faster, and more convenient ways for riders to pay their fares on HART and PSTA. Your virtual 3-Day (consecutive) unlimited ride ticket is just $11 and valid on all HART and PSTA bus services, including HARTFlex, Jolley Trolley, Looper Trolley, and the TECO Line Streetcar System. (Not valid on HARTPlus or PSTA DART.)
Hernando, Pasco, Manatee and Sarasota Counties are also implementing the new technology in the future. HART and PSTA expect to have the total system, which will include other customer-centric benefits, up and running by 2018, with the limited pilot program starting September 5.
After the test period, data from both agencies will be analyzed to determine what concerns need to be addressed before the full system is implemented in 2018.
