Brewed Fresh Daily

"Cleveland's transit agency is looking at ways of speeding up bus service by eliminating the fare box. Problem: Buses spend a considerable amount of time idling as riders fish in their pockets for coins to drop in the fare box, then make their way to their seats. Eliminate all this fumbling around at the front of the bus, consultants say, and buses could make better time. But how would people pay, if not with cash? The Cleveland system is looking at several possibilities: One would be to issue riders 'smart cards' that would store fares (you'd replenish the card by feeding money into a machine, like a reverse ATM) or bill you monthly. Another: Require all riders to use paper fare-cards, issued by vending machines. If it's a smart-card system, you'd wave the card at an electronic card reader at the front of the bus, and it would ring up your fare. If it's a fare card, you'd have to swipe it through a card reader. Either way, consultants say, lines would move faster. 'What you have today, in all sincerity, is what is known in the (transit) industry as a dinosaur,' said one. The smart cards have some added benefits: Programmed correctly, they can provide a lot of information about ridership trends, experts say, and can be used for other things. 'People could pay for transit, and they could pay for a cup of coffee,' a consultant said. "