San Diego
Starting today, bus commuters in San Diego will be able to pass the buck without having to bother with change.
New, computerized fare boxes equipped with slots to handle both dollar bills and change were installed this weekend in each of San Diego Transit Corp.’s 286 buses, said Deborah Wetter, a transit spokeswoman. The buses provide transportation to 85,000 people daily.
Like the old fare boxes, the new devices will only accept exact change. The biggest difference for commuters will be the ability to use dollar bills to pay.
San Diego Transit purchased the fare boxes from General Farebox Inc., based in Illinois, to replace a model that had been used for more than 10 years. Purchase and installation came to $1.26 million. A federal grant paid about 80%, and local funds accounted for the difference.
Officials said the new fare boxes also will facilitate retrieval of data about bus usage.
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