Lake Tran weighs removing onboard cash as fareboxes age; staff favors digital payments

Lake Tran CEO Ben Capel told the Lake County Board of Commissioners that the agency is weighing whether to remove onboard cash collection from buses because its fareboxes—purchased in 2009—are at end of life and increasingly costly to maintain. "For fareboxes, it's 10 years [minimum life]. We have stretched them 7 years past their useful life," Capel said, noting replacement fareboxes cost $25,000–$28,000 each and a system‑wide replacement could run roughly $1.7 million to $2.0 million before installation and ancillary costs.

Capel presented survey findings and financial figures to illustrate the tradeoffs. He said Lake Tran estimates roughly $1,200,000 in total fare revenue for 2026 and expects to collect about $200,000 in cash, while survey responses showed a split between customers who prefer cash and those who prioritize on‑time service. "Customers generally prefer reliability over the cash component," Capel said, summarizing the feedback. He described staff's working recommendation to prioritize digital fare collection, add open payment (tap a credit/debit card) on buses, keep ticket vending machines at transit centers, and phase out onboard cash over an 18–24 month community engagement period.

Commissioners asked how many riders who currently pay with cash might stop using service if onboard cash were removed and how reduced fares, transfers and verification would be maintained. A commissioner raised the equity concern: "How does it impact [the] most vulnerable?" Capel said options include reduced‑fare cards, ID checks, vehicle printer tear‑offs for transfers, and fare capping within the app to protect frequent riders. He also noted a middle approach—eliminating cash on higher‑fare park‑and‑ride buses while retaining cash on local routes—could lower initial cost and risk.

Capel added Lake Tran is pursuing technological options and grant funding to offset costs; he said a federal earmark application is at a late stage and that staff will bring the open‑payment feature to the Lake Tran board in August. The presentation concluded with no formal county action; commissioners agreed to accept the update and asked staff to continue community outreach and report back.