Open Payment for Regional Public Transportation Travel

The use of open payment standards allows fare interoperability across a set of transit systems without requiring a single design or a single vendor. Each system can proceed on its own schedule and with its own fare policies and processes. Interoperability is provided primarily by acceptance of a common card or phone, with which customers pay for many other goods and services in a familiar process. The greater New York region, with a set of large and interconnected transit systems, may obtain substantial future benefits from adopting open payments across the region.