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1 | AN ACT concerning transportation.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Regional Transportation Authority Act is | ||||||
5 | amended by adding Section 2.04A as follows: | ||||||
6 | (70 ILCS 3615/2.04A new) | ||||||
7 | Sec. 2.04A. Universal fare card.
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8 | (a) In order to promote greater access and convenience for | ||||||
9 | public transit riders through a seamless regional transit | ||||||
10 | network, the Authority shall adopt a universal fare card and | ||||||
11 | establish rules concerning its implementation and use, as | ||||||
12 | federal and State funds become available. For purposes of this | ||||||
13 | Section, "universal fare card" means a fare instrument that can | ||||||
14 | be used seamlessly on all bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, | ||||||
15 | and paratransit services for all fare structures in the | ||||||
16 | Authority's service region. | ||||||
17 | (b) Upon request, the Service Boards shall expeditiously | ||||||
18 | provide to the Authority any information related to the | ||||||
19 | Authority's responsibilities under this Section.
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20 | (c) The Authority shall, by January 1, 2005, in conjunction | ||||||
21 | with the Service Boards, issue a request for proposal inviting | ||||||
22 | potential bidders to develop a plan to implement a universal | ||||||
23 | fare card. The plan shall detail the specific components and | ||||||
24 | costs of a universal fare card and an integrated fare | ||||||
25 | management system, including the possibility of phased-in | ||||||
26 | implementation, as federal and State funds become available. | ||||||
27 | The plan shall assess the most cost-effective approach to | ||||||
28 | extend existing infrastructure currently in use throughout the | ||||||
29 | Authority's service area and the life cycle costs of operation, | ||||||
30 | labor, and maintenance for a minimum of 15 years. The plan | ||||||
31 | shall include, but is not limited to, the development and | ||||||
32 | implementation of the following: |
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1 | (1) the type, number, and design of universal fare | ||||||
2 | cards using contactless smart card or other technology; | ||||||
3 | (2) the type, number, and design of smart card readers | ||||||
4 | or validators that are able to process a wide variety of | ||||||
5 | transit trips and fare structures including, but not | ||||||
6 | limited to, inter-agency and intra-agency transfers, | ||||||
7 | time-based passes, and multi-trip passes; | ||||||
8 | (3) the type, number, and design of any equipment | ||||||
9 | needed to mount smart card readers or validators by: (i) | ||||||
10 | retrofitting existing buses, rapid transit, or rail cars, | ||||||
11 | (ii) modifying stations with barriers or gates, or (iii) | ||||||
12 | installing freestanding card readers or validators at | ||||||
13 | unattended stations; | ||||||
14 | (4) the type, number, and design of portable hand-held | ||||||
15 | readers for use by transit operators, paratransit | ||||||
16 | operators, or on-board ticket takers, as appropriate; | ||||||
17 | (5) the type, number, and design of secure self-service | ||||||
18 | machines and point-of-sale terminals for purchasing or | ||||||
19 | adding value to universal fare cards with cash, credit | ||||||
20 | cards, and debit cards, inside or outside of transit | ||||||
21 | stations, at retail outlets, and at other venues; | ||||||
22 | (6) the software and hardware technology needed to | ||||||
23 | automate and decentralize participation by employers and | ||||||
24 | their employees in the U.S. Transit Check program; | ||||||
25 | (7) the software and hardware technology needed to | ||||||
26 | enhance customer service capabilities for purchasing or | ||||||
27 | adding value or other transit fare products to universal | ||||||
28 | fare cards, providing information, and other conventional | ||||||
29 | and Internet-based services; and | ||||||
30 | (8) the software and hardware technology needed for a | ||||||
31 | central automated clearinghouse that processes all fare | ||||||
32 | transactions and settles payments on a daily basis among | ||||||
33 | the Service Boards and that also provides to each Service | ||||||
34 | Board data relative to passenger ridership and transfers in | ||||||
35 | order to help assess routes and schedules and to determine | ||||||
36 | fare revenues for preparation of annual proposed budgets |
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1 | and financial plans.
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2 | (d) By January 1, 2005, the Authority shall develop a cost | ||||||
3 | analysis of the fare management system in use by the Service | ||||||
4 | Boards on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd | ||||||
5 | General Assembly in order to enable the Authority, the | ||||||
6 | Governor, and the General Assembly to compare the costs of | ||||||
7 | conversion to a universal fare card and integrated fare | ||||||
8 | management system with existing costs for each Service Board, | ||||||
9 | including but not limited to, the following: | ||||||
10 | (1) handling the cash sale of tickets by personnel at | ||||||
11 | stations, on buses, or on board commuter rail cars; | ||||||
12 | (2) counting and reconciling all cash collected; | ||||||
13 | (3) deposits of all cash collected and time delays | ||||||
14 | resulting in loss of interest earned; | ||||||
15 | (4) accounting systems prepared and updated for all | ||||||
16 | cash collected; | ||||||
17 | (5) security for removal and transportation of cash | ||||||
18 | collected; and | ||||||
19 | (6) shrinkage due to human error or other reasons.
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20 | (e) By April 1, 2005, the Authority shall compile all | ||||||
21 | information derived from subsections (c) and (d) into a report | ||||||
22 | and submit the report to the General Assembly and the Governor.
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23 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
24 | becoming law.
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