MetroWest Regional Transit Authority to resume fare collection in May with new system

The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority will resume fare collection on all of its bus services in May and will also launch a new fare system, according to a statement.

The regional transit agency, which had suspended collecting fares two years ago during the pandemic, will introduce a new Catch Card that is integrated with the MWRTA Catch App that launches May 2, the statement said.

The MWRTA serves the communities of Ashland, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Milford, Natick, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley, and Weston, according to the statement.

Riders on the agency’s Fixed Route vehicles will have the option of paying for rides using the new card, the mobile app, or by using cash, the statement said.

Fixed Route fares are $1.50 for adults paying with cash, and $1.25 for those using the new Catch Card. People over age 65 who have a photo ID can pay 75 cents in cash for a ride, or 70 cents with the card, according to the statement.

The new card replaces the MWRTA’s use of the CharlieCard on its services, which riders use to pay for trips on the MBTA.

Customers may obtain a Catch Card at the MWRTA Central Hub at 15 Blandin Ave. in Framingham or from drivers of fixed-route vehicles, the statement said. Riders also can exchange CharlieCards for the new Catch Cards at the Framingham facility.