RIPTA launches new smart fare collection system with reloadable cards

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Public Transit Authority has announced Wave, its new smart fare collection system featuring reloadable smart cards and a mobile app.

According to RIPTA, customers can use secure online accounts to buy transit passes, then use contact-free technology to board buses, either tapping their Wave card or scanning their mobile app on validator units that are now installed on all RIPTA buses.

“This is about people being able to buy what they want when they want and being able to board a bus almost as soon as they’ve made their purchase,” said RIPTA CEO Scott Avedisian. “This project has been in the works for more than two years and we’d like to thank everyone who has worked on it – particularly the hundreds of passengers who volunteered to help us with pilot testing.”

Wave cards can be purchased from wave.ripta.com, and the Wave app can be downloaded on Android and Apple mobile devices. RIPTA says customers who opt to set up online accounts can buy fare products or add cash to their Wave card or app. Customers can also add value to their Wave cards at local retailers, according to RIPTA, with locations set to be announced soon.

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Those who don’t wish to set up an online account, meanwhile, can request a Wave card by calling RIPTA at 401-781-9400.

Benefits to the rider include the ability to go online, cancel a lost card and transfer the outstanding balance to a replacement card if the Wave card is misplaced. The Wave system of payment – available immediately to the rider – tracks trips automatically so riders aren’t charged more than they should be. For instance, once a rider reaches $70 in rides for the month, the cost of a monthly pass, they won’t be charged more that month, no matter how many times they ride.

Many details of the project were overseen by RIPTA Chief of Strategic Advancement Greg Nordin and Kevin Perry, principal planner.

“Making transit easier to use is key in keeping passengers and also attracting new customers,” Nordin said.

“We want to do everything we can to encourage more people to use the bus,” Avedisian said. “It is particularly important as we work as a state to combat climate change and we see how much public transportation helps reduce harmful emissions from single-occupancy vehicles.”

Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributing writer.