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December 11, 2024|Rapid Transit

SEPTA, Conduent Launch 3D Fare Gates Pilot Program (UPDATED, 12/11)

Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
SEPTA's pilot program uses Conduent's 3D Fare Gate Solution at the 69th Street station. (Photo: Business Wire)
Conduent Transportation, a provider of smart mobility technology solutions and business unit of Conduent Incorporated, on May 16 announced a pilot program by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) using the company’s 3D Fare Gate Solution at a Philadelphia area transit station to track and curb incidents of fare evasion, which costs the agency an estimated $30 million to $40 million annually.

SEPTA selected the 69th Street station in Upper Darby as its test location for riders traveling on the Market-Frankford and Norristown High Speed lines. The gates, each measuring 7 feet, 8 inches tall, began operating in April. Following the three-month pilot program, the agency says it plans to expand the fare gates’ availability to other stations, including those with high reported incidents of fare evasion.

“We’re excited to be part of this important pilot for SEPTA to help detect, deter and quantify fare evasion, while simultaneously offering both the agency and riders increased security and convenience,” said Adam Appleby, President, Transportation Solutions at Conduent. “As transit agencies across the country and around the world grapple with how to curb fare evasion, Conduent is poised and ready to deliver our solution, which has shown to deliver meaningful results and helps ensure riders pay their fares.”

According to Conduent, the company’s 3D Fare Gate Solution “uses innovative 3D detection optical sensors, allowing travelers fast and convenient access while detecting and deterring ticketing fraud.” The gates, the company adda, also provide transit authorities quick access to reporting and analytics, “aiding in enforcement decisions by identifying precisely when and where fare evasion occurs.”

The gates, which were also implemented in Paris by Transilien SNCF in 2019, are designed to “detect the most common types of fare evasion using advanced, sensor-based feedback mechanisms.” The solution, which is ADA-compliant and adaptable to meet agency needs, “improves equity in transportation by improving accessibility for all riders as well as helping to ensure passengers pay their share,” the company said.

Dec. 10, 2024 Update

Conduent on Dec. 10 announced that SEPTA has finalized a plan to install approximately 100 additional 3D fare gates at nine different transit stations in the Philadelphia area.

The fare gates contract continues Conduent’s relationship with SEPTA “to improve rider journeys with faster, easier and more convenient payment options with the implementation of an advanced fare collection system.” In 2023, Conduent implemented contactless payment options on transit, including buses, subways and trolleys. Customers can now easily tap their credit and debit cards or use mobile payment apps such as Apple Pay or Google Pay at turnstiles and fare boxes. In just over a year of operation on transit alone, there have been more than 15 million taps collecting tens of millions of dollars in fares, including a recent one-day record of approximately 87,000 taps, according to the company.

SEPTA launched a pilot earlier this year with Conduent’s 3D fare gates at the 69th Street station in Upper Darby, Pa., just outside Philadelphia. Coupled with efforts by transit police to deter fare evasion, the agency is projecting an increase of $300,000 in annual sales revenue at that station. SEPTA now will install the gates at its Somerset, Huntingdon, Cecil B. Moore, 11th Street, 13th Street, Frankford Transit Center, Allegheny, 52nd Street, and City Hall stations. Those installations are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.