A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-57, regarding Charlie Card availability at public buildings

C I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E Community Development Department IRAM FAROOQ Assistant City Manager for Community Development SANDRA CLARKE Deputy Director Chief of Administration KHALIL MOGASSABI Deputy Director Chief Planner 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Voice: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] TTY: [phone removed] www.cambridgema.gov TO: Louis DePasquale, City Manager FROM: Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development SUBJECT: Awaiting Report #19-57 dated 5/13/19, regarding CharlieCard Availability DATE: June 19, 2019 In response to Awaiting Report #19-57 dated May 13, 2019 requesting that the City Manager provide an update on progress toward making CharlieCards available at certain public buildings throughout the City, we submit the following. Access to CharlieCards in Cambridge is limited, and broadening access to the cards is a priority. CDD regularly requests approximately 200 CharlieCards per summer from the MBTA for distribution to summer youth employees and at public outreach events throughout the city. In addition, CDD has reached out to the MBTA to initiate a partnership to distribute CharlieCards at public buildings, similar to the City of Boston partnership. This response details the MBTA CharlieCard partnership that will be piloted in Cambridge starting August 31, 2019 and summarizes the upcoming changes to the fare payment system at the MBTA. The latter may affect distribution strategies. Background on MBTA – Boston CharlieCard Partnership The City of Boston has partnered with the MBTA to designate several public locations as distribution points for CharlieCards. These are locations where a city staff member is available to distribute the CharlieCards to patrons or constituents. Boston staff report that within approximately two months, they have distributed over 650 CharlieCards with almost one-third distributed in heavily bus-dependent neighborhoods. They characterize the collaboration as very easy, reporting that the MBTA has provided an easy replenishment process and promotional materials for the various distribution locations. They also note that publicity in the local press has helped support the launch and success of the program. MBTA – Cambridge CharlieCard Partnership In partnership with the MBTA, we plan to make CharlieCards available at the CDD front desk at 344 Broadway, 3rd Floor by August 31. The cards may be loaded at any MBTA station using cash, credit or debit cards, or on MBTA buses using cash. By piloting this initiative at CDD, we will be able to assess frequency of requests, frequently asked questions, staffing impact and any other considerations prior to deploying the program more widely at other locations. The MBTA will advertise this program in addition to City of Cambridge press outreach, signage, flyers, website updates, and social media postings.

Page 2 of 2 In the fall, CDD staff will work with the City Manager’s office and other departments to designate other public locations where at least one staff person could be engaged and trained on the purpose, use, and distribution of CharlieCards, and any related Cambridge processes and policies. Seniors are eligible for the Senior CharlieCard, which provides discounted fees and requires a special registration process. Each year, CDD hosts three Senior CharlieCard registration events in collaboration with the Council on Aging, and seniors may register anytime at Downtown Crossing. Additionally, discounted T-passes are available for income-eligible Cambridge residents ages 19-25 through the Department of Human Service Programs and student T-passes are distributed at CRLS. MBTA Next Generation Fare Payment System We have been coordinating with the MBTA regarding the MBTA’s new fare payment system, which is currently under development and expected to be rolled out in the next few years. Known as Automated Fare Collection (AFC) 2.0, the new payment system will allow riders to “tap” or validate their fare while on board vehicles using fare cards, smartphones, or contactless credit cards. Vending machines will also be provided at all stations and some bus stops. The MBTA is targeting retail partnerships to broaden access to fare cards. One anticipated benefit of the new system would be faster bus service, with the ability to board at any door to validate fares. More information on the AFC 2.0 can be found at https://www.mbta.com/projects/automated-fare-collection-20-afc-20.