Later this year, OCTA is preparing to launch a new and modernized fare payment system, designed to enhance accessibility and improve the rider experience for all bus passengers.
As part of this effort, OCTA is seeking input on the new system to make sure the technology best meets the needs of passengers.
“We want to ensure that every OC Bus rider, from those using public transit for the first time to our most frequent commuters, has a way to pay to ride that works best for them,” said OCTA Chair Doug Chaffee, also Orange County’s Fourth District Supervisor. “This is about modernizing our system to provide flexibility and convenience, reflecting the ways our riders use technology and can most easily and efficiently ride public transit.”
Key to the new system is the introduction of a smart card fare media, known as a Wave card, which will replace traditional paper passes with a more durable, flexible, and user-friendly payment option.
The Wave card would also be used on OCTA’s OC Streetcar when it debuts in Santa Ana and Garden Grove.
OCTA’s extensive outreach includes community meetings, participation in countywide events, onboard bus advertisements, brochures and surveys, and digital communications. Information is being distributed at major transportation centers, the OCTA store, and through in-person activations across Orange County.
Surveys will continue to be collected until the public hearing on March 24 in front of the full OCTA Board of Directors.
For more information or to take an online survey, visit here.