Smart card applications in integrated transit fare, parking fee and automated toll payment systems-the MAPS concept

The concept for a multimodal access and payment system (MAPS) promising to provide a common mechanism for the payment of transit fares, parking fees, tolls and other transportation-related items is described. MAPS will focus on the use of smart card technology and smart cards interfaced to RF transponders on vehicles to relieve the traffic congestion and air pollution problems which are becoming increasingly severe in urban areas. MAPS smart cards will maintain logs of the actual transportation modes used on employee journeys to and from work. Trips made as passengers in ride share or high occupancy vehicles will also be recorded on the smart cards. These logs can be used for the purposes of measuring the effectiveness of corporate traffic congestion and air pollution mitigation programs and in certifying compliance with regulations in these areas. Profile information on primary and alternate travel itineraries and modes will be maintained in the smart cards. This information can be used in future extensions of MAPS to supply users with traffic and transit information, updated schedules and alternate routing specific to their trip.<<ETX>>