Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is taking steps to preppare for the arrival of its new contactless open fare system, according to The Inquirer.

SEPTA has set up a laboratory for testing prototypes of new fare equipment at its Center City headquarters. Workers will soon begin installing new subway turnstiles that will allow customers to pay fares by tapping a contactless device of their choosing upon entry to vehicles and stations.

In November 2011, SEPTA awarded a $129.5 million contract to ACS Transport Solutions Group for the new system that will replace current tokens, paper tickets and magnetic stripe passes with bank cards, smart ID’s, NFC-enabled phones and pre-paid contactless SEPTA cards.

Also in the coming months, SEPTA’s fleet of buses will be outfitted with new fare boxes to support the new open fare system. SEPTA will also issue its own chip-equipped cards that riders can use.

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