Genfare is an American manufacturer of fareboxes, ticket vending machines, and other fare collection equipment for public transit systems. Based in Elk Grove, Illinois, Genfare is a wholly owned subsidiary of SPX Corporation.[1] The company claims to be the largest U.S. manufacturer of fareboxes.
 | |
| Formerly | General Fare Industries |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Automated fare collection |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Parent | General Signal (1980–1998) SPX Corporation (1998–present) |
| Website | genfare |
History
editGenfare's origins can be traced to Johnson Farebox, whose founder, Tom L. Johnson, invented the first transit farebox in 1880.[2] Johnson later acquired Cleveland Farebox, and was itself acquired by Keene Corporation in 1960.[3]
General Fare Industries (GFI) was established by General Signal in 1980.[4][5] GFI merged with Keene in 1981, and acquired the farebox business of Duncan Industries in 1983.[5] In 1990, the company was renamed GFI Genfare.[4]
In 1998, General Signal was purchased by SPX Corporation, and GFI Genfare became a subsidiary of SPX.[6] The company took on its parent's name in 2012, becoming known as SPX Genfare, but was later rebranded simply as Genfare in 2016.[7]
Products
editFareboxes
edit
Genfare's primary products are fareboxes used on buses and trams. Its fareboxes range from simple mechanical cash collection boxes to complex validating fareboxes capable of printing tickets or reading smartcards.
The newer Odyssey is capable of reading smartcards and printing magnetic-stripe tickets,[8] while the current Fast Fare farebox added support for credit cards and QR code-based mobile ticketing.[9]
Turnstiles
editFrom the 1980s to the mid-2000s, Genfare manufactured turnstiles for rapid transit systems. The Genfare Transentry turnstile and Easientry accessible swing gate are currently in use on Cleveland's RTA and the Detroit People Mover,[10] and were previously used on SEPTA's rapid transit lines.[11]
References
edit- ^ "Pace Suburban Bus awards fare box contract to Genfare". Mass Transit. 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ Sheridan, Michael J. "The Story of The Johnson Farebox Company". www.johnsonfarebox.com. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ "History drives innovation". BUSRide. 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
- ^ a b "GFI Marks 10 Years With Name Change". Chicago Tribune. 1990-10-02. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ a b Fare Collection Program Implementation Plan. Urban Mass Transportation Administration Fare Collection Task Force. 1984-12-07 – via Google Books.
- ^ "SPX purchases General Signal for $2 billion". Control Engineering. 1998-08-01. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ "About Us". Genfare. 2023-01-24. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
- ^ "Odyssey Validating Farebox". Mass Transit. 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
- ^ Metro Magazine Staff (2014-10-13). "SPX Genfare's Fast Fare is Complete Fare Collection System". www.metro-magazine.com. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
- ^ Seamless Fare Integration Study for the Detroit Region: Final Report (PDF). Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan. 2015.
- ^ Taylor, Miles (2024-03-27). "Detroit: A Tale of Two Weird Rail Systems" (Video) – via YouTube.