Marin Transit to propose cash farebox overhaul

Marin Transit must change how it collects cash fare and counts passengers because the fareboxes that do both are on the verge of becoming obsolete, the agency said.

The service launched a fare study this summer to examine what technology should replace the fareboxes on its buses.

Although the Clipper card fare system is getting a big upgrade next year — making cashless payments faster and more convenient — Marin Transit must continue to provide passengers with an option to pay for their trips in cash, officials said.

“Everyone is excited about Clipper 2.0, because it does resolve some of the major barriers to Clipper use,” Cathleen Sullivan, Marin Transit director of planning, told the board Monday. “We do think we can increase Clipper usage overall, but only to a certain point, re-underscoring that cash is going to be an important part of our fare collection picture into the future.”

About 11% of Marin Transit riders use the Clipper card, Sullivan said. The rest pay cash or use other fare products, such as change cards or passes.

Riders haven’t committed to Clipper in part because of the lack of Clipper vending availability and technological challenges with riders adding cash value onto the card, Sullivan said.

Clipper 2.0 is expected to launch in mid-2024, enabling Marin Transit to offer more fare products, such as passes and discounts, Sullivan said. Riders will also be able to use debit and credit cards in addition to the Clipper card or mobile app to pay for their trip.

Money uploaded to Clipper cards will also be instantly available, eliminating the wait times that have been reported to discourage riders from using the system, Sullivan said.

At the same time, Genfare, the manufacturer of the fareboxes used by Marin Transit, has discontinued production of the devices. Replacement parts for the cash fareboxes employed on all Marin Transit buses will no longer be available after 2025, Sullivan said.

The goal of the agency is to continue to accept cash while promoting the switch to the Clipper card, Sullivan said.

Staff have surveyed riders to see what other barriers keep them from using the Clipper card. The survey also asked whether they transfer to other transit systems, such as SMART or the Golden Gate Ferry, for example.

Results of the survey are expected to be presented early next year, along with a recommendation for a new farebox system and potential policy updates, Sullivan said.

After a preliminary review of farebox products available, staff are leaning toward the simple cash drop-box technology, Sullivan said. What makes it appealing is that it is the most cost-effective option and it doesn’t duplicate fare products that will be offered through the Clipper card.

It could also help increase Clipper card usage because certain discounts and promotions will only be available on that cashless system.

“I think the big thing we want to make sure of — if someone is going to continue to pay with cash that they are not in any way disadvantaged,” Sullivan said. She added that staff want to “make sure we’re approaching this in the most equitable way possible.”

Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan, who serves on the Marin Transit board, said he likes the idea of the cash drop-box.

“I think sometimes a lower tech option is the right one,” Lucan said. “In this case, especially since Clipper is getting their tech where it should be, having a cash box that’s simple seems like a winning combination.”

Supervisor Katie Rice, the transit agency board president, said there will be people who only carry cash.

“And I think those are the people we can’t forget,” Rice said.

“There’s a separate effort to try to get regular riders to use Clipper and take advantage of those programs,” she said. “Undoubtedly, there’s always going to be somebody standing at the bus stop who doesn’t have that and needs to get on the bus. We just have to expect that and support those folks.”