The T has already installed some contactless fare readers at some Orange Line locations — but they don’t do anything. And while a more seamless fare system will be a welcome innovation that brings Boston’s transit more in line with other cities’, the price tag on the project raises questions about the T’s priorities and procurement abilities.
The contract comes with an eyebrow-raising price tag. The project is now expected to cost taxpayers nearly $1 billion and will be carried out by Cubic Corp., a private company that piloted open payments in London in 2012 and has since rolled out contactless payments in cities like New York and Los Angeles.
It’s work has not been without hiccups. Stacy Thompson, the executive director of LivableStreets Alliance, a transit advocacy group, said in an interview that Cubic “has a terrible track record nationally and internationally for delivering projects on time and within budget, and we’re seeing that bear out in Massachusetts and for the MBTA.”
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Cubic is behind in its work for the Bay Area’s contactless system, which was supposed to be rolled out this summer. And in New York, after initial success on buses and subways, the MTA dumped Cubic because the company took too long to add contactless payments to commuter rail and the prices for the expansion started ballooning.
In its statement, the MBTA said, “We’ve been in close collaboration with Cubic throughout the process, focused on achieving full functionality and verifying system performance through testing. … Our targeted launch hinges on final metrics demonstrating a smooth and reliable operation, ensuring a convenient payment experience for riders. We’ll actively gather rider feedback to address any issues that may arise. Our focus remains on delivering a high-quality product, both for the initial launch and throughout the contract lifecycle.”
In New York, the system was launched on buses and subways more quickly and at a fraction of the expected Boston cost. For $656 million, the program launched in 2019, rolling out contactless payment at 472 subway stations and on 5,800 buses by January 2021.
In the past, Cubic has tried to argue that the contracts are fundamentally different, and it’s true that the scope and the services provided in Boston and New York are different. But it’s still hard to understand how there could be such a price differential for a transportation system that is a fraction of the size of New York’s.
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And in the meantime, the MBTA has spent $40 million just to keep the current toll systems working. “I think that the T is also ignoring feedback they’re getting to really look at the overall costs of implementing this,” Thompson said. She also noted that the rollout is meant to allow all-door boarding on trolleys and buses, but “where all door boarding is implemented people simply don’t pay,” she said, making this investment all the more bewildering. Thompson favors simply getting rid of fares. “Why are we spending millions of dollars on this technology when we can make the buses free?”
And while the tap-to-pay tolls in New York’s subways are admittedly convenient, especially for visitors, the T might have bigger fish to fry before offering such a perk. Its backlog of projects and repairs keeps growing. In 2019, the T estimated needing $10 billion for repairs alone. That’s up to a whopping $24.5 billion per a November agency analysis — and that doesn’t even include anticipated upgrades like climate resiliency measures and commuter rail electrification. And to face those funding issues, and address its $628 million budget gap for the next fiscal year, the T is shelling out half a million to consulting firm Ernst & Young to research its spending.
But then again, the MBTA isn’t known for its savvy negotiating skills on large-scale projects. Its 2014 contract with CRRC to build hundreds of Red and Orange line cars was at first supposed to be the cheapest option. Now the contract has ballooned to over $1 billion and the cars aren’t slated to be done until 2027.
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When it comes to the Cubic system — which will end up costing nearly as much as the actual trains — it’s unclear whether the T has its priorities in order. Pete Wilson, a senior policy director at Transportation for Massachusetts, said it “remains to be seen” if this was a worthwhile investment. “We’ll see over time. … I mean, if it makes where you can go from commuter rail to subway to bus seamless, then maybe, but it is a very large investment.” At the same time, Wilson argued that if the rollout of the system is successful, there will be advantages such as fare capping — which the MBTA hasn’t committed to — and integrating low-income fares. Still, “as we know, the T has a number of issues as far as maintenance and backlog,” Wilson added.
Everyone knows the feeling of desperately fiddling with your CharlieCard as your train pulls out of the station. But for a tap-to-go system to be an added convenience to any commute, there have to be trains to board in the first place.
Correction: An earlier version of this editorial misstated the cost of New York’s fare-collection system on subways and buses. It was $656 million.
Editor’s Note: This editorial has been updated to reflect that the MBTA has not committed to a fare-capping program.
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Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @GlobeOpinion.
