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Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Feb. 28 awarded Cubic Transportation System Inc. an $84 million contract to manufacture and implement a universal fare system using Smart Cards.



The move to Smart Cards is expected to take about three years to implement. Passengers then would be able to board all MTA buses and trains, and transfer to services offered by municipal operators, paratransit and Metrolink commuter rail without purchasing new fares or carrying change.



"The day when passengers experience public transit the way it was envisioned, effortless and quickly, is just around the corner," said MTA Board Chairman John Fasana in a prepared statement.



The contract includes design, manufacture, testing, delivery, installation and support for stand-alone validators, validating bus fare boxes, revenue equipment, ancillary equipment, spare parts and associated software.