5-2 RFP 2026-170 Fare Collection System Scope of Work.pdf

Fare Collection System Scope of Work

1. Overview and Objectives

Mountain Line seeks a comprehensive, modern electronic fare collection solution that improves the rider experience, minimizes vehicle dwell times, supports multiple fare media types, and provides operational flexibility. The system shall be secure, scalable, cloud-native, and based on open architecture principles to support future enhancements and integrations. The solution must support both closed-loop and open-loop fare payments and be capable of operating reliably in online and offline environments.

2. System Description

The Vendor shall design, furnish, implement, configure, test, and support a complete fare collection system, including all required software, hardware, integrations, and services. The system shall be able to replicate all current Mountain Line fare policies, reporting needs, and institutional pass programs.

3. Functional Requirements

3.1 Usability and Rider Experience

• The system must be easy to use for both riders and Mountain Line employees.

• The system shall support fast transaction processing (less than 1 second) to minimize boarding times and reduce vehicle dwell time.

• The system shall provide a low-cost day pass solution

3.2 Fare Media and Payment Support

The system shall support, at a minimum, the following fare media types:

• Mobile ticketing

• Contactless smart cards

• NFC-based mobile wallets (including Apple Pay and Google Pay)

• Contactless credit and debit cards

The system shall include open-loop (EMV-based) onboard payment capability; however, Mountain Line will ultimately make the decision whether to implement open-loop payments based on cost.

3.3 Fare Policy and Configuration

• The system shall allow Mountain Line staff to configure and modify fares, fare products, eligibility rules, and pricing without vendor intervention.

• The system shall support daily and monthly fare-capping across all fare products and media including open loop.

• The system shall support employee passes and institutional pass programs, to include K- 12 and college/university programs.

• The system shall include functionality to manage replacement of lost or stolen cards and associated balances.

3.4 Cash Fare Handling

• The system shall provide a fast and efficient method for bus operators to account for onboard cash fares, minimizing operator workload and boarding delays.

• Mountain Line plans to keep our existing drop-type fare boxes.

3.5 Features and Integrations

• The system shall be cloud-native.

• The system shall integrate with the Transit app, which is currently Mountain Line’s primary rider-facing application, allowing riders to continue using that app for fare presentation.

• The system shall offer a stored value pass option.

• The system shall offer the ability to send passes to mobile devices

• The system shall allow for partner agencies to manage passes for their clients, employees, or residents.

• The system shall support integration of Northern Arizona University (NAU) employee institutional pass program (ecoPASS) via QR code. (NAU Employees sign into their app which is able to present a QR code that uniquely identifies that rider and is readable by the fare collection system.) Similar integrations might be required in the future.

• The system shall support Single Sign-On (SSO) for employee accounts or, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). SSO is preferred.

3.6 Security, Compliance, and Reliability

• The onboard system shall be designed to operate in both online and offline modes, with secure data synchronization when connectivity is restored.

• The system shall be PCI-DSS compliant.

• The system shall be EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) certified.

• The system shall include robust pass-back prevention and fraud detection/protection measures.

4. Reporting and Data Access

• The system shall provide robust standard reporting capabilities covering revenue and fare media usage, including but not limited to trips by fare type, fare type usage by month, route, and stops. .

• The system shall allow Mountain Line users to create and run custom reports.

• Data shall be accessible through secure and documented APIs (application programming interfaces) and exportable in common formats.

• All data generated shall be the property of Mountain Line.

5. Architecture and Technical Requirements

• The system shall be cloud-native and based on an open architecture.

• The system shall expose documented APIs to support integrations with third-party systems and future Mountain Line applications.

• The system shall be scalable to accommodate growth in ridership, fare products, and services.

6. Hardware Requirements

• All onboard equipment shall be designed to operate to withstand environmental factors commonly found in a transit vehicle environment, to include dust, vibration, heat/cold.

• Any purchased fare collection equipment shall include a five (5) year warranty.

• Any purchased equipment shall be compliant with Build America, Buy America requirements.

7. Migration and Implementation Services

• The Vendor shall provide a detailed plan to migrate or recreate existing rider accounts, including stored value balances, institutional passes, etc., from Mountain Line’s current fare collection system to the proposed system.

• The Vendor shall provide implementation, configuration, testing, training, and go-live support services as part of the project, with a go-live target of Summer 2026.

8. Pricing and Commercial Models

• The Vendor shall propose pricing for:

o A purchased system with ongoing maintenance and support, and/or o A leased or subscription-based model.

• If both options are offered, the Vendor shall provide clear, separate pricing for each model, including any recurring fees, transaction fees, licensing costs, and support costs.

• Vendor must provide a separate subtotal for the system that meets all Requirements. If there are additional costs associated with Preferred Options, an additional subtotal shall be provided for those features.

9. Ongoing Support and Maintenance

• The Vendor shall provide ongoing system maintenance, updates, security patches, and technical support.

• The Vendor shall describe service level commitments, support hours, and escalation procedures.

10. Preferred Options

Mountain Line has identified the following features, capabilities, and services as preferred options. These items are not mandatory requirements; however, proposers are encouraged to address each item and clearly indicate the level of support provided, including any associated costs, dependencies, or limitations.

10.1 Integrated Mobile and Electronic Fare Collection

• Mountain Line prefers that mobile ticketing and electronic fare collection be included within a single, unified proposal.

• Proposals may be submitted jointly by multiple firms (e.g., electronic fare collection and mobile ticketing providers) provided that the solution is presented as a fully integrated system with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

10.2 Loyalty and Incentive Programs

• The system should include a native loyalty or rewards program, or support integration with third-party loyalty platforms.

• Loyalty programs may include fare incentives, usage-based rewards, or promotional offers configurable by Mountain Line.

10.3 Account and Pass Flexibility

• The system should support multiple passes, including family or group passes, under a single rider account.

• The system should allow employee passes to be issued and managed through the mobile ticketing system.

10.4 Apple Express Transit

• The system should support Apple Express Transit or similar functionality, enabling eligible riders to pay fares without requiring device unlock or app launch.

10.5 Third-Party Sales Channels

• The system should support the sale and distribution of fare media and passes through third-party retail or partner locations.

• The system should support converting cash to a digital account or reloadable transit card at third-party retail or partner locations.

• Proposers should describe supported sales models, settlement processes, and reconciliation methods.

10.6 Vehicle Connectivity

• Fare collection equipment can be connected to existing CradlePoint routers via Ethernet and/or Wi-Fi.

• Proposers should describe any configuration or hardware dependencies required to support this connectivity.

10.7 Open-Loop Payment Cost Optimization

• For open-loop (credit/debit card) payments, the system should support methods such as batching of transactions to reduce transaction and processing costs.

• Proposers should describe supported methods and any configuration options available to the Mountain Line.

10.8 Paratransit and ADA Fare Support

• The system should provide a mechanism for riders to use the same fare collection account and/or physical fare media for fixed-route, paratransit (including ADA and ADA+ trips), and microtransit services.

• The system should support fare differentiation when paratransit and microtransit trips are co-mingled, including a method for vehicle operators to designate the trip type at the time of fare validation.

10.9 Marketing and Outreach Support

• The Vendor should provide support for rider marketing and outreach activities, including launch campaigns, educational materials, and adoption strategies for new fare media and payment options.

10.10 Data and Schedule Integration

• The system should support importing route, stop, and service data using GTFS and/or APIs, eliminating the need for manual data recreation.

• Proposers should describe supported data formats, update frequencies, and validation processes.

10.11 Optional Rider Application Capabilities

If the Vendor proposes a separate rider-facing mobile application in addition to or instead of the Transit app, the application should support integration with the following systems where applicable:

• Spare Labs paratransit dispatching

• Elerts for rider communications and alerts

• Real-time arrival/trip planning platforms

10.12 Unified Fare Media Across Services

• The system should allow riders to use the same account, mobile credential, or physical fare media to pay for fixed-route, paratransit, and microtransit services.

• Proposers should describe how fare validation, trip classification, and pricing would be handled across these service types.

• If Proposers offer both a lease/subscription model and a purchase-the-equipment model, the pricing sheet should be completed separately for each option.

Existing conditions:

• Revenue fleet: 30 buses, 8 vans. 4 new buses due to arrive in September 2026.

• Electronic contactless smartcard and QR code-based system, and a mobile ticketing system provided by a second vendor

• Electronic fare collection equipment on board includes an operator’s console and a separate fare validator. The fare validator is not within reach of the operator

• Cash fare boxes are Diamond Manufacturing F1 Series with remote dump option.

• Mountain Line has an existing institutional pass program whichs is branded as “ecoPASS”

• All revenue vehicles have CradlePoint routers for internet connectivity