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10/6/2020
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) last week began replacing its fare collection system by upgrading fare gates.
The upgraded gates will support MBTA's new contactless, tappable CharlieTicket fare card, which will be introduced in 2021.
The fare gates will accept MBTA's current CharlieCard fare card and will no longer accept paper tickets. Rail stations will continue to offer fare gates that accept paper tickets throughout the transition to phase them out by late 2021, MBTA officials said in a press release.
Upgrade work began at Oak Grove rail station on the Orange Line in Malden, Massachusetts, and will continue throughout the system. MBTA anticipates completing 50 percent of the fare gate upgrades by December with the remaining gates to be completed by late 2021.
The new fare system will cost $935.4 million, which includes the full capital cost of the system and a 10-year stream of operations and maintenance payments.