PATH’s new fare payment system that lets commuters tap their digital chip-enabled cards and smartphones to ride is now in all seven New Jersey rail stations, officials said.
The Total Access PATH Payment (TAPP) readers, which will ultimately replace the old SmartLink and MetroCards that require riders to reload value, are now available at nine stations that include major New York PATH terminals.
More than 100 fare gates have now been equipped with TAPP readers, representing 30% of 337 turnstiles in the system, officials said. More TAPP turnstiles were seen in service at World Trade Center on Friday as PATH is starting to phase out use of SmartLink and MetroCard for payment.
After four new TAPP readers were activated this week at the Newport station in Jersey City, they are available in all New Jersey stations, officials said.
Plans call for launching TAPP at PATH’s remaining New York stations, Christopher Street, 9th, 14th and 23rd Street by the end of the summer.
“As more riders return to the PATH system after the pandemic, we want them to come back to a commuter rail that reflects 21st century standards of travel and customer service,” said Port Authority Executive Director,Rick Cotton, in a statement.
Cotton and other officials physically demonstrated TAPP in April at the World Trade Center Station. PATH customer assistance employees have directed riders waiting in line to refill SmartLink and Metrocards to try TAPP instead.
For riders, who’ve used the MTA’s OMNY tap and go subway fare readers, PATH’s TAPP system is identical in appearance and function, displaying a green GO sign with an arrow when the fare is paid.
Both systems eliminate the extra step of riders having to buy and load fares on separate cards.
However the discounts that the SmartLink card offers haven’t immediately been migrated to the TAPP system. SmartLink provides a $2.60 single ride discounted fare while TAPP charges the full $2.75 single fare rate.
Officials said TAPP will catch up and offer similar discounts when it is fully implemented across the PATH system.
Turnstiles supporting both SmartLink and MetroCard will remain in use while riders become familiar with TAPP. A date for ending use of SmartLink and MetroCards has not been set by PATH.
PATH began testing TAPP readers last December, converting turnstiles at Journal Square in Jersey City and 33rd Street in Manhattan.
Similar to OMNY, PATH will offer a TAPP card that unbanked customers can load cash on to pay fares. The other question — of whether TAPP will accept OMNY cards and MTA tap and go readers will accept PATH cards — is an issue expected to be addressed in the future, officials said in earlier interviews.
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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @CommutingLarry
