City and rail officials announced they’ve awarded a $31 million contract to global ticketing firm INIT to set up and run a smart-card pass system for rail transit, TheBus and TheHandi-Van services. INIT will provide smart-card readers for the vehicles as well as ticket-vending machines and fare gates at rail stations. The system will allow officials to analyze Oahu’s ridership trends and adjust service.

For those who would rather pay the old-fashioned way, with cash, that option will still be available.

Compensation of $2.7 million still sounds sweet

Money’s been a key facet of the drama over the proposed merger of Hawaiian Electric Industries with Nextera Energy Inc. of Florida.

First there was the splash of headlines that Connie Lau, president and CEO of HEI, stood to receive a payout topping $11 million should regulators clear the merger. This week comes the news that, largely because her compensation through stock awards fell by half, Lau’s 2015 pay packet dropped sharply in value to $2.7 million.

That’s on one of the lower ladder-rungs for Hawaii public companies, but that still sounds pretty sweet to most people. HEI hastened to remind us that Lau’s compensation isn’t included in Oahu electricity rates.