Maintain Stringent Service Level Agreements with Selected Vendors Up Front
Pilot Deployment of Contactless Transit Payment System in Connecticut Resulted in Lessons for Statewide Implementation.
Connecticut, United States
Connecticut Integrated Transit Mobility Project (CT-ITMP) Final Implementation Report
Summary Information
Transit riders in Connecticut must navigate complex fare structures, transfer rules, and multiple payment systems across more than 15 transit providers, while also relying on several different apps and websites to access schedule and real-time information. Connecticut’s Integrated Transit Mobility Project (CT-ITMP) was a proof-of-concept pilot for an integrated contactless transit payment system that ran from October 2024 through March 2025. The goal of the pilot was to test the system, called Tap & Ride, before scaling to include all transit services statewide. It included two providers (River Valley Transit and the CTtransit Meriden Division), and with a service area spanning 16 municipalities and 18 bus routes. As part of the pilot, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) also evaluated options for digital verification of discounted fares and investigated the necessary hardware and software upgrades required to deploy an app with real-time information.
The following include some of the best practices and lessons learned by the CTDOT during the planning and execution of the pilot.
- Maintain stringent service level agreements with selected vendors. This is necessary for holding the vendors accountable for delivering consistent and reliable services.
- Ensure that vendors adhere to stipulations regarding the timing of credit and debit card processing. Transactions from on-board payment devices to the backend system typically occur in real-time, but in case of transmission failure, vendor requirements (i.e., a four-day maximum) should be enforced to minimize loss.
- Consider the connectivity and physical placement of on-board payment devices before installation. Router connectivity was found to be preferable to SIM cards during the pilot. In addition, device placement should facilitate customer use while also allowing for operator visibility (to assist with troubleshooting and customer questions).
- Ensure that vendors comply with privacy requirements to protect user data. Safeguarding customer information collected through contactless fare payments is essential to maintain public trust.
- Select vendors that have cybersecurity certifications. This certification is necessary to protect sensitive customer information and reduce the risk of fraud.
- Ensure that procurement departments understand the use of state purchasing schedules. State purchasing schedules can be an efficient and cost-effective way to procure transit technology hardware and software, but procurement staff need to learn this process.
