Few people like change, but the MTA is hoping to make the upcoming transition to new modern fareboxes on its 825 buses as seamless as possible.
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDoT) Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) will begin replacing its legacy fare collection equipment with new, modern fareboxes on all its buses operating on the agency’s local bus routes this summer. The change will be gradual, with 200 buses upgraded per month, and full transition expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The current CharmCard “tap and go” fare payment option will be retired, and riders are encouraged to move to CharmPass, the MTA’s mobile transit pass app.
“These new fareboxes are another way we are working to improve the rider experience and create a modern, more efficient transit system,” said Holly Arnold, Maryland Transit Administrator. “The CharmPass app is a convenient, secure way to pay for transit fares and has been a favorite option of riders for years.”
The new fareboxes have larger, easier-to-read color displays. They also have fewer moving parts, making them more durable, requiring less maintenance. The current equipment is over 20 years old and can be difficult and time-consuming to fix.
Using CharmPass, customers can buy the fare option for any MTA service they want and pay directly from their smartphone. A one-way fare for local bus, Metro Subway, and Light Rail on the CharmPass app is automatically valid for 90 minutes, which allows riders free transfers across all the MTA’s core services.
The CharmPass app also offers CharmFlex 3-day and 10-day pass options at a discount of around 15%. To download the app, riders can click this link.
Riders without a smartphone can pay for their transit fare at the new farebox when they board a bus or purchase a one-way, day pass, weekly, or monthly pass at a Ticket Vending Machine and at the Transit Store.
The MTA urges riders to use up any remaining CharmCard balance or passes they have as soon as possible. Between Aug. 11 and Nov. 30, riders will not be able to use a CharmCard on buses with new fareboxes. The CharmCard will be fully retired on all modes (Bus, Metro Subway, and Light Rail) effective Dec. 31, 2025.
The timeline of the transition is listed below:
- June 1: Sales of CharmCards at Walk-in Vendors and the agency’s Transit Store will be discontinued.
- July 7: Sales of CharmCard 31-day passes will be discontinued online and at walk-in vendors.
- Aug. 14: Installation of new fareboxes on buses begins; new fareboxes will not accept CharmCard.
- Sept. 30: New fareboxes installed on 50% of bus fleet
- Oct. 31: New fareboxes installed on 75% of bus fleet
- Nov. 30: New fareboxes installed on 100% of bus fleet
- Dec. 1: CharmCard reload function (dollars or passes) will be discontinued
- Dec. 31: Last day CharmCard can be used on Metro Subway or Light Rail.
CharmCard holders can learn more about the transition by clicking this link or by calling the Transit Information Contact Center at 410-539-5000. To set up a new CharmPass account, visit this link.
Of course Maryland is still putting in things that are massively out of date. Philadelphia, DC, and New York all have systems that let you use a normal credit card to tap in and out.