The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority plans to introduce "smartcard" fare-collection technology by 2004 - Boston - Brief Article

Railway Age, Jan, 2002

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority plans to introduce "smartcard" fare-collection technology by 2004. The $120 million system will replace metal tokens with computerized fare cards that passengers wave in front of scanners and reload through automated machines, the Internet, or by telephone.

MBTA officials are considering offering such extra features as automated banking, student identification, and workplace access on the cards. MBTA subways and buses would have the system first, to be followed by commuter trains and terries. Token booth clerks would be retrained to become "customer service clerks."