Marin Transit recommends fare drop box, automated passenger counters
Marin Transit staffers are recommending transitioning to a new cash fare drop box and automated passenger counting system in phases over the next two years.
The new devices will replace the Genfare fareboxes aboard buses today because they are out of production. Beginning in 2025, they will no longer be serviceable.
The draft recommendation was presented to the board of directors at a meeting Monday.
Cathleen Sullivan, Marin Transit director of planning, said this year, the Clipper card system is expected to go through a major upgrade — making cashless payments faster and more convenient.
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.
A gradual switch to the new cash fare drop box could give Marin Transit about a year after the Clipper 2.0 rollout “to do a big push on Clipper and see what kind of uptake we have,” Sullivan said.
“It will help inform some of the fare policy choices that we have to make,” Sullivan said.
For example, cash riders today are given paper transfers printed straight from the farebox. The new cash drop boxes won’t have that technology, she said.
A survey of riders concluded that the biggest challenge of transitioning riders from using cash is that its habitual, Sullivan said.
“Cash is super easy, it’s simple, they understand it, they understand how much they’re paying,” she said.
After pushing Clipper for a year, “and if we still see a fair share of people needing cash transfers, then we can figure out what the substitute cash transfer mechanism is,” Sullivan said. “If we get a lot of people onto Clipper, maybe that won’t be needed.”
Novato resident Anthony Nachor said he has questions.
“I’m curious how this will proceed in terms of transfers across transit agencies,” he said, noting that some cash riders will need to connect to Golden Gate Transit or others. “I’m concerned about how this will be implemented.”
Staff is recommending a three-step approach to introduce the new fareboxes, she said.
The first step is purchasing automated passenger counters and software. Some buses are already equipped with the counters, Sullivan said. Staff is assessing which, if any, will need to be replaced and how many buses are missing the technology.
Procurement of those counters could range from $300,000 to $945,00, depending on whether any of the existing counters can still be used, Sullivan said.
Additionally, drivers are responsible for what is called rider segment counting, where they tally seniors, youth, bikes and wheelchairs that board buses.
Sullivan said today drivers are using the Genfare fareboxes to take those counts. There is a separate tablet on buses already that is capable of recording the same data. It’s a matter of training drivers how to start using the tablets, she said.
After evaluating several available farebox products, staff said a simple cash drop-box is the best option. That’s because they are the most cost-effective devices and they won’t duplicate fare products that will be offered through the Clipper 2.0 upgrade.
“They’re simple; they have no moving parts, long life, low cost, less prone to failure,” Sullivan said of the drop boxes.
It’s expected to cost about $260,000 to $370,000 to outfit the Marin Transit fleet with the drop boxes, according to estimates, Sullivan said.
The automated passenger counters can be installed on buses either before the new fareboxes or at the same time, Sullivan said.
The transition to the rider segment counting via tablet can happen this year.
Staff is recommending that the drop fareboxes be installed in 2025 through 2026 as the existing fareboxes are decommissioned, she said.
The final proposal is expected to be put up for a vote next month, Sullivan said.