The project will process selected ISO/IEC14443 PICCs and PCDs or CIDs against a limited control Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) application containing a selected sub-set of fare products such that basic logical, functional and performance evaluations can be performed. However, the evaluation will focus mostly on the technical interoperability characteristics of the communication protocol, of establishing a secure session, and adherence to standardized read/write commands. The results will identify those areas that present a level of RIS compliance, difficulties or necessary challenges to achieve RIS compliance. These areas of difficulty will be further evaluated so that recommendations are made to improve the RIS, vendors PICCs and PCDs or the PoC model. The deliverables for this project are all contracted to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s regional consulting firm and all deliverables will be available in the NY/NJ region to local transportation agencies and to all members of the I95 Corridor Coalition.




TASK 1. Preparation
Review in detail the RIS sections, Part-02 PICC, PCD and CID Physical and Electrical specification and Part-03 PICC, PCD and CID Software and Protocol Specification in order to completely comprehend the specifications and requirements. A written report will itemize any questions, concerns and suggested inputs that could contribute to the improvement of the RIS document or vendor supplied PICCs and PCDs and expected accomplishments. This will be required in advance of commencement of any other Task.

TASK 2. Device Selection
Selection of PICC devices from a proposed set of researched products will limit the project to:

• Two (2) PICCs (smart cards) from different manufacturers that are proposed as compliant Full-Featured platforms as defined by the RIS.
• Two (2) PCD/CID (smart card readers) platforms from different manufacturers that are proposed as compliant as defined by the RIS.
• A control test suite of three transit fare products; one containing the need for an extension object, with all representing actual gated light rail transactions.

TASK 3. Include 2 to 4 additional PICCs and 1 – 2 more CID
The objectives and tasks for this phase are the same as Task 2. This phase will include at least 2 additional smart card chips (PICCs) and at least 1 more smart card readers (CID’s).

At the completion of this phase there will be at least 4 PICCs and 3 PCD/CID that will be interoperable according to the RIS standards. They will all be testing using the limited fare collection test scripts used in Task 2.

TASK 4. Execution
Port the control test suite transit application data structure containing the pre-selected three fare products on to each of the selected smart cards in accordance with the specifications of the RIS Part-03. This porting task will make use of a two-key security set scheme as described in Part-03.

The porting of this test suite will be performed on the two selected Full-Featured smart card platforms. Perform measurements and evaluation of the fare products operating with the pre-selected PICCs and PCD/CIDs operating systems layered upon the RIS Part-03 file and data structure. The results of this testing will be documented in a separate report and upon acceptance by the PANYNJ will constitute project completion. The report shall contain the factual results under a determined set of criteria with recommendations for improvement.

Operational Test in a working station – AirTrainNewark station. This phase will further prove the viability of a set of RIS compliant PICCS and PCDs in an operational transit station. The station anticipated for this verification is the AirTrainNewark that connects the New Jersey Transit Northeast Corridor to the Newark Liberty International Airport.

TASK 5. Develop a Transit Point of Sale (TPOS) commercially usable software module.

Enhance the functionality of the Laboratory and Operational PoC into a complete RIS compliant and RIS capable PICC reader software module. This software will completely process the smart cards used in the PoC and interface via the CID with any central agency AFC system.

This Transit Point of Sale (TPOS) software module will be made available to any transit agencies desiring to be RIS compliant at the CID – PICC interface process.

Procurement Agency: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Project Contact: Project Coordinator: Robert Bernard, 212-435-3323
rbernard@panynj.gov

To provide a Proof of Concept (PoC) Prototype system in which a representative suite of transit fare products is integrated using the Regional Interoperability Standard for Electronic Transit Fare Payments. The development activity employed selected smart cards, also known as Proximity Integrated Circuit Cards (PICCs) and smart card readers, also known as Proximity Coupling Devices (PCDs) or Card Interface Devices (CIDs), from a variety of different manufacturers.

The Prototype processed fare payment transactions using several different PICC, PCD and CID products and applying a variety of different fare policies while measuring system and product performance in a simulated mass transit environment. Performance evaluation focused primarily on the technical interoperability characteristics of the communication protocol, session security, and adherence to standardized read/write commands. The results highlighted the areas of compliance defined by the RIS and identified the implementation challenges that would be faced by integrators seeking RIS compliance. These challenges were further evaluated and used to make technical improvements to the RIS and to create implementation notes for vendors of PICCs, PCDs and CIDs and for payment system integrators.

View PDF file of Scope of Project.

The RIS PoC Prototype project successfully demonstrated the technical viability of the RIS and the achievability of open interoperability by virtue of the application of a robust standard for smart card technology. The project also confirmed that manufacturers of smart card technology are willing to support standardization efforts through product modifications and that the existing interface standards (such as ISO/IEC 14443) must be supplemented with additional technical requirements in order to enable interoperability across the product platforms of different manufacturers. Further, the project delivered a valuable set of materials (the PoC Package) that provides guidelines, implementation notes and helpful tips to product manufacturers and payment system integrators developing solutions designed to achieve RIS compliance. Finally, the Prototype platform was effectively used, with various enhancements, to demonstrate the feasibility of applying a subset of the RIS-defined data structure to a contactless bankcard to affect credit or debit card payments in a secure, offline transit fare payments environment.

Deliverables:

- PoC Prototype system software and integrated card/reader set
- PoC Package including:
- PoC Prototype system source code excerpts
- RIS Implementation Considerations (smart card and reader integration notes and product characteristics)

The development of the PoC Prototype system clearly illustrated the challenges faced by any payment system integrator using contactless payment media and the immense value provided by a comprehensive interoperability standard. It effectively identified opportunities for improvement in the RIS and led directly to the adoption of those improvements throughout the US transit community. The project efforts underscored the need to provide integrators with tools (e.g., implementation guidelines, integration notes) to minimize the opportunity for implementation errors and to simplify the effort to create solutions that are compliant with RIS and which achieve interoperability and meet the rigid performance requirements of transit and similar payment environments.

Although not currently included in the project plans, a logical next step is to evaluate and, if appropriate, integrate additional PICC, PCD and CID products into the Prototype and to add relevant information regarding those products into the PoC Package. This effort, if undertaken, would enhance the PoC Package with a broader array of product information and would ultimately provide transit agencies and payment system integrators with integration notes on a greater variety of RIS-compliant product choices.

$600,000 total project costs ($300,000 in Coalition funds and $3000,000 The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey).

Task 1. Preparation: $30,000 Dec2003

Task 2. Selection – 2 PICC and 2 CID (2 x 2): $120,000 Apr2004

Task 3. Additional 2 PICC and 2 CID (4 x 4): $180,000 Jul2004

Task 4. Execution: $150,000 Mar2005

Task 5. Transit Point of Sale (TPOS) module: $120,000 Jun2005

Final Project Expenditures: $670,056.73*
*$300,000 from Coalition Funds, $370,056.73 from Port Authority as their match