TriMet, the regional transportation system based in Portland, Ore., recently began a test of a reloadable fare system and later this year it will add Near Field Communication-based payments via bank cards and smartphones to its pilot.
The new Hop Fastpass regional fare payment system is available to 250 riders for use on TriMet buses, light rail trains and streetcars throughout the region, with plans to add users every two weeks until the system rolls out system-wide later this summer, TriMet said in a press release.
Riders using Hop Fastpass may add value to reloadable fare cards online or via a mobile app, over the phone or at TriMet’s ticket office, and the agency is inviting consumers to apply to participate in the beta test. The new approach replaces tickets sold at kiosks and is designed to cut rider costs for those who use TriMet at least twice a day, the agency said in the release.
