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The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will solicit public input on its fiscal-year 2012 budget and capital improvement program at a March 21 hearing, while the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will host an April 1 public information session on a new fare payment system proposal.

WMATA is proposing $851 million in projects in the FY2012 capital improvement program, which would include funding from $398 million in federal grants, WMATA officials said in a prepared statement.

The projects would include replacing the 1000 series rail cars and rehabilitating rail lines and stations. Written statements on the proposals will be accepted until March 28.

Meanwhile, SEPTA is pursuing a payment technology initiative that would modernize the agency's fare payment and collection system. Riders would be able to pay for travel on trains, trolleys and buses using a common retail methods such as bank cards, mobile devices and other emerging "smart" technologies, SEPTA officials said in a prepared statement.

A contract for the agency's "Smart Card" initiative is expected to be awarded by early summer, and the fare modernization project is slated for completion in three years, agency officials said.