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Metro seeking volunteers to test new fare gates

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON (AP) — Metro says it is seeking volunteers to test out new high-tech fare collection machines at its turnstiles, beginning in January.

The Washington Post reports (http://wapo.st/1uvomkA ) Metro is recruiting 2,000 volunteers to help pilot a new $200 million program to replace the equipment the agency uses to collect fares.

Metro will install one prototype gate in 10 rail stations and new receptacles on 50 buses for six different routes.

The new gates will feature “near-field communication” technology that will enable riders to pass through by waving an NFC-enabled smartphone, credit or debit card, or Metro SmarTrip card. The fare will immediately be deducted from the rider’s bank account in what Metro called a “contactless” process.

By 2020, the system’s current fare gates in the Metro system’s 91 stations will be replaced.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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