Today and the Future

These are exciting times at Cubic, and in recent weeks I’ve been very focused on the events of “today”. Only 18 months after receiving the contract award to replace New York’s famous MetroCard system, we just delivered the future of fare payments in the Big Apple. The new OMNY system (One Metro New York) was introduced in a public pilot at 16 stations on the Lexington Avenue line, stretching from the Grand Central Terminal to the Atlantic Avenue Barclays Center Station, as well as on buses from Staten Island.

OMNY represents a huge leap forward for New York, as it will enable customers to make payments using contactless bank cards and mobile wallets. And as the system expands to include the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Railroad in later phases of the project, New Yorkers will be able to pay for their entire commute across the region using only their smartphone.

Expanding on the future, here are some noteworthy innovations to think about:

1. Innovation in Payments

The development of new technologies for mobile devices has been matched by innovations in payment cards and terminals. New card functions like EMV chips and near-field communication (NFC) are making payments more convenient and secure, and are being built into systems like OMNY. NFC is a particularly appealing technology for transit and mobility, as every advancement that removes friction from the mobility payment transaction brings us one step closer to our MaaS and NextCity goals.

What will be the next innovation in payments?

2. Our 5G Future

As mobile devices and payments continue to evolve and adopt new features, the transportation community must be agile and prepared to integrate these advances into our own solutions. One potential game-changer is 5G, which will enable tremendous upgrades in mobile performance. From eliminating dead zones to allowing travelers to engage with live-streaming entertainment throughout their journey, 5G could fundamentally change the way people engage with their journey. What do you think are the biggest opportunities for mobility and 5G?

3. Making MaaS a Reality

We are incredibly proud of OMNY and what it represents in our journey towards delivering Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS). As we focus on delivering exceptional service to our customers, we are also keeping an eye on how to leverage evolving technologies to bring us even closer to our NextCity vision of integrating the entire mobility ecosystem through an integrated payment platform and journey and congestion management platforms.

We spend so much time discussing the future of transportation and payment accounts that it can often feel like the future will never come. The launch of OMNY shows that the future is coming soon. I’m so proud of our team and the work they’ve done to make this breakthrough success, and I’m excited to see what the transportation industry can make of these incoming developments in technology.

What will your commute look like in five years?