Photo: Getty Images
BOSTON (WBZNewsRadio) - A post on the Boston sub-reddit website is asking "Why is nobody talking about how much slower the new ticket machines are?" The new ticketing machines are part of the MBTA's new fare validation plan, which has been installing new fare vending machines across the transit system.
The MBTA says the machines make CharlieCards, as well as new tappable CharlieTickets available at all subway stations and allow riders to use a smartphone or contactless credit card to pay.
"The new system will also improve the T as a whole by allowing us to operate more efficiently and invest in future changes and growth, meaning that you’ll be able to get where you’re going faster." The MBTA said in a release regarding their fare transformation plan.
Reddit users chimed in and said the processing after tapping a credit or CharlieCard takes 20 seconds and for some T riders, that's wicked long. Another post said it's faster to use cash with the new machines than anything else. Not everyone agrees, one user wrote "I feel the exact opposite. I can actually tap my credit card, which is faster."
This isn't the first time riders have complained about the machines. In the fall of 2021, riders posted their complaints on twitter directed at the agency's account, saying the new machines were not processing credit cards.
“After 15 years of using the old machines, a learning curve is not unusual,” MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said, adding that the MBTA plans to include information on their website to “explain the differences in using a chip card and a magstripe card.”
The agency is aiming to have all Red, Green, Blue, Orange, and Silver Line stop vending machines upgraded this spring.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasNews) reports
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App