November 2021 - 9

NJ Transit modernizes TVMs with
contactless payment option
▶ A total of 558 new, modernized ticket
vending machines (TVMs) have been
installed by New Jersey Transit (NJ
Transit) throughout the system, offering
faster transaction times and contactless
payment options. NJ Transit customers
now can purchase tickets using contactless
cards and mobile wallet applications
and will no longer need to insert
debit/credit cards into the machine. The
machines also have improved functionality,
with faster printers and new
displays providing customers with important
travel information and advisories.
An overhead display will provide rail
customers with travel information about
arriving and departing trains at their
station. The new TVMs have improved
features making them quicker and easier
for customers to use, are easier for people
with disabilities to use and include
audible as well as visual instructions.
The height of the TVMs have also been
adjusted to accommodate customers
with mobility challenges.
MassTransitmag.com/21245659
Amtrak's Cascades service to
resume on Point Defiance Bypass
▶ After intensive system testing, crew
qualifications and safety certification
in partnership with Sound Transit and
the Washington State Department of
Transportation, Amtrak Cascades service
resumed on the Point Defiance Bypass on
Nov. 18. As the host railroad, Sound Transit
required Amtrak to verify compliance with
an array of safety requirements before resuming
service. The inland bypass parallels
I-5 between the Tacoma Dome Station,
Lakewood, JBLM, DuPont and Nisqually.
A total of eight trains - including Amtrak
Cascades and Coast Starlight - will use the
bypass daily, with additional trains added in
the months ahead as COVID-19 restrictions
ease. Operations in Tacoma will
move to the new Tacoma Dome Station,
near the Sounder and light-rail stations on
East 25th Street. To prepare for a safe and
comfortable trip, Amtrak conducted crew
qualifications in preparation for the resumption
of service on the Point Defiance
Bypass route. The training was conducted
in coordination with Sound Transit.
MassTransitmag.com/21245450
New England's first center-running
bus lane opens on Columbus Avenue
▶ New England's first center-running
bus lane facility on Columbus Avenue
between Walnut Avenue and Jackson
Square Station in Boston is anticipated
to save riders four to seven minutes on
the Massachusetts Bay Transportation
Authority (MBTA) Bus Routes 22, 29
and 44. In the wake of the COVID-19
pandemic, the city of Boston and the
MBTA prioritized implementation for the
Columbus Avenue project due to the
continued need for bus priority. After the
statewide public health emergency was
declared in March 2020, ridership for
Bus Routes 22, 29 and 44, which travel
through the project corridor, were well
above system-wide averages. These
routes also serve some of the highest
rates of low-income and minority riders
within the MBTA's system. Prioritizing
trips for these riders is a critical part
of making it easier for riders to access
workforce opportunities, education and
critical services in the months and years
to come as the region recovers.
MassTransitmag.com/21246323
Battery-electric.
Low-floor.
Fully accessible.
For more information, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/10066174
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November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2021
