Quick, easy, and secure way for customers to pay their bus fare via mobile wallet and debit or credit cards
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) today announced the launch of its new Tap & Ride pilot program, which allows customers to pay for their bus fare by tapping their Visa or Mastercard branded debit card, credit card, or mobile wallet at contactless payment readers on River Valley Transit and CTtransit Meriden Division buses.
This project marks a major step in modernizing public transportation in Connecticut, providing a seamless and secure way for customers to quickly pay while boarding the bus in select service areas. No downloads or signups are necessary.
This project is being funded through the USDOT’s Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant program, which was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. CTDOT was awarded a $2 million Stage 1 SMART grant and is eligible for a Stage 2 SMART grant to expand the project in the future.
“We are excited to support the Connecticut Department of Transportation on this effort, a key project to modernize and improve the transit experience for riders in this community,” said Ben Levine, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“Contactless payments have become a part of everyday life. We want our transit customers to have a quick and convenient experience when it comes to paying fares, one that doesn’t require them to have exact change or even download a mobile app," said Connecticut Department of Transportation Bureau Chief of Public Transportation Benjamin Limmer. “Thank you to the USDOT for funding this pilot project, which will help Connecticut test this technology out with customers and develop our roadmap for a large-scale implementation of contactless payments across all bus services in the state.”
“River Valley Transit is excited to be included in CTDOT’s Tap & Ride pilot,” said River Valley Transit Executive Director Joe Comerford. “We look forward to sharing our experience implementing this new technology with other bus service providers throughout Connecticut.”
Here’s what customers need to know when using Tap & Ride:
- Tap & Ride is a pilot program only available on River Valley Transit fixed routes, and CTtransit Meriden division local routes 561, 563, 564, 565, and 566.
- Only contactless enabled Visa or Mastercard branded products are accepted at this time.
- On your first tap of the day, you will be charged $1.75. You can transfer and tap for free on any bus with the Tap & Ride contactless payment readers for two hours after your first tap.
- If you tap again after two hours, you will be charged another $1.75. Now that you have reached the day cap of $3.50, you can transfer and tap for free on any bus with the Tap & Ride contactless payment readers for 24 hours after your first tap.
- Within a 31-day period, if your contactless fare payments sum to $52.50 you will not be charged for any additional taps made until the end of that 31-day period. Customers must use the same payment method for every tap to receive the benefit of fare capping.
- You can review your contactless fare payment history here.
For more information on the Tap & Ride program, please visit portal.ct.gov/TapAndRide.
* As of November 1, 2024, CTtransit route 567 is no longer part of the Tap & Ride Pilot *