Transit payments specialist Littlepay, in partnership with Kuba and Elavon, announces today its involvement in the deployment of open loop payments on Tulsa Transit’s MetroLink. The successful implementation of this new modern fare collection system aims to enhance the boarding experience and streamline the payment process. 

MetroLink Tulsa (Tulsa Transit) is the public transit authority in charge of the public transportation infrastructure for Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its network of 21 regular routes and 4 night routes now has an upgraded fare collection system with brand-new validators, allowing riders to enjoy the simplicity of contactless payments.

The initial phase of the project will support the existing 1-day and 31-day fare caps as well as transfers, however, the new fare collection system has the capabilities to support any future capping requirements from the organization. 

Utilising CAL-ITP’s Mobility Marketplace’s system outside of California

In this project, Littlepay collaborated with our partners at Kuba for fare validators and Elavon for acquiring services. The existing integration between partners and the procurement process established by California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP; calitp.org) Mobility Marketplace streamlined the process of implementing open loop payments in Tulsa.  While CAL-ITP put together the technical documentation for a smooth procurement process in California, the organization encourages transit authorities from outside the state to have a look at their materials and modernize their fare collection system. 

Tulsa Transit took advantage of the existing pathway and modernized its ticketing infrastructure to the standard of major US metropolitan transit authorities. By taking the modular route to contactless payments, they put together a state-of-the-art fare collection system with an affordable budget. 

“The open-loop deployment in Tulsa, Oklahoma, shows that the framework provided by the State of California can be successfully used by transit agencies anywhere in the United States. Pre-integrated, standardised products and services can be rolled-out more easily and cost-effectively.”

said Brian Frank, General Manager of Kuba North America

Discounted Fares with Contactless Payments 

Tulsa Transit advocates for the community’s right to keep using their discounted fare programs, even when paying with a credit card, debit card or mobile wallet. To uphold their responsibility to provide fair ticketing options, they are offering daily, weekly, and monthly fare caps. This initiative gives riders flexible and budget-friendly options, without having to pay upfront for a physical pass. 

“I’m thrilled to see another project outside of California, go live using the CAL ITP procurement system. The mobility marketplace is paving the way for agencies all across the US to provide a modern way for their passengers to pay for their travel.”

said Sheryll Ricketts, Head of Solutions at Littlepay