Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council Announces First Year Successes, New Officers, Upcoming Initiatives

First year Council participation exceeded expectations, including ten top tier U.S. transit agencies. In addition to transit agencies, the Council's 43 members represent a cross-section of the industry, including chip and card suppliers, transportation system suppliers, systems integrators and financial services providers. New members joining the Alliance and participating in the Transportation Council include ACS, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, METRO -- Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bridges and Tunnels, MTA New York City Transit, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Parcxmart, PBS&J, PepperCoin, Scheidt & Bachmann, TransitCenter, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) and the Utah Transit Authority.

"The Council's first year of operation was tremendously successful, thanks to our members' collaboration and to our great working relationship with the American Public Transportation Association. The Council has been able to move forward with projects that look at how to bring smart card-based payments to the public in different transportation segments," said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Alliance.

The Council's first major accomplishment was publishing the white paper, Smart Cards and Parking, available at www.smartcardalliance.org. The white paper attracted broad Council member participation and includes extensive industry information on the use of smart cards in both parking and transit.

"The high level of participation in the Council and the excitement around its projects this year really illustrate that the transportation industry is serious about accelerating the use smart cards for payments across the many modes of transportation and transportation-related services. It was great to be able to work as chair to lay the groundwork for this Council and to help further the progress of this technology in this market," said Greg Garback, executive officer, department of finance, Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) and the exiting co-chair of the Council.