Measuring and Managing Fare Evasion (2022)

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206 administrative citation. Fare evasion violation that is resolved through an administrative review and resolution process implemented by a transit agency. all-door boarding. Boarding allowed through multiple doors on a transit vehicle, including rear doors. civil citation. Fare evasion violation that is a civil (noncriminal) violation, punishable by a fine or penalty enforced through the civil court system. civilian personnel. In fare enforcement, nonsworn positions without the powers of sworn peace officers. community policing. Community-oriented strategy to build relationships between police and the communities that they serve, enabling peace officers to develop/maintain trust and better collaborate with local residents (or transit passengers). commuter rail. Passenger rail service that primarily operates on mainline railroad tracks within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or com- muter communities. concession fare. Reduced fare for persons such as youth, older adults, or persons with disabilities. Also referred to as a “discount fare” or “reduced fare.” criminal citation. Fare evasion violation that is considered criminal, classified as either a mis- demeanor (which can result in the offense becoming part of a criminal record and, possibly, arrest) or an infraction (which is less severe—similar to traffic stops for minor moving violations and other low-level misconduct—and usually only requires payment of a fine). discount fare. Reduced fare for persons such as youth, older adults, or persons with disabilities. Also referred to as a “concession fare” or “reduced fare.” discretion policy. Policy that allows fare enforcement personnel to determine whether to issue a warning or citation on the basis of their assessment of a situation and in accordance with any related standard operating procedures. dwell time. Amount of time that a vehicle spends at stops or stations and not traveling en route between them. fare collection. Receipt by the agency of fare media or fare payment from a passenger for a current trip. fare enforcement. Act of ensuring that a fare is paid or the taking of an action when a fare has not been paid. Actions may include issuing warnings or citations or providing passengers with education and assistance with purchasing a fare. Glossary

Glossary 207   fare enforcement personnel. Generic term for civilian personnel and sworn peace officers involved in fare enforcement. fare gate. A gate that allows passengers to pay and enter, one person at a time. fare inspector. Nonsworn civilian fare enforcement personnel authorized to request proof of payment and issue citations. Also referred to as “fare enforcement officers” and “code compli- ance officers.” May also include transit security officers involved in fare inspections. fare line. A physical point after which passengers are expected to have paid their fares. Often associated with restricted access, such as fare gates and other access controls (e.g., fencing, barriers). fare payment. A transaction in which a passenger pays money to a transit agency. An individual can make a fare payment for a current trip (e.g., cash fare paid upon boarding), purchase a fare product (e.g., monthly pass, 10-trip ticket), or load stored value into a transit account (e.g., via smart card or mobile ticketing app). fare vending machine. See ticket vending machine. fare-paid area. Physical space where transit passengers are required to have paid their fare before entering. Also referred to as “fare-paid zone” or “paid-fare area/zone.” May also include the inside of a transit vehicle. fare-paid area inspection. Proof-of-payment inspection in a fare-paid area. Inspections may occur where passengers are waiting on a platform or as they enter/exit the platform (e.g., at the top or bottom of escalators/stairs) or on board a transit vehicle. fixed-route service. Transit service, such as bus and rail, traveling on a defined route or right-of-way. focused deployment. Deployment of fare enforcement personnel on the basis of factors such as peak periods, fare evasion issues, and ridership. gated station. Station or stop with fare gates or turnstiles through which passengers must pass after paying their fares to access the platform. handheld validator. Handheld electronic device, such as a cell phone with specialty software, that enables fare enforcement personnel to validate and inspect fare media. heavy rail. An electric railway with the capacity for heavy traffic volume that operates on fully grade-separated, exclusive right-of-way, often in subterranean tunnels (e.g., subway) or on ele- vated structures. hopper. Passenger who exits a transit vehicle upon observing fare enforcement personnel board- ing, well after other passengers have exited. light rail. An electric railway with light-volume traffic capacity. Typically, a metropolitan system that operates single cars or short trains at ground level (can be on streets), in subterranean tun- nels (e.g., subway), or on aerial structures. magnetic stripe ticket. A ticket with a magnetic stripe containing fare product information that can be read by inserting the ticket into farebox or swiping the ticket at a farebox or card reader. medium-capacity rail. An electric railway with greater traffic capacity than light rail but less capacity than heavy rail. In contrast to most light rail systems, but similar to heavy rail, medium- capacity rail service usually runs on a fully grade-separated, exclusive right-of-way, including subterranean right-of-way (e.g., subway).

208 Measuring and Managing Fare Evasion mobile ticketing. Transit passes and tickets purchased and presented on a smartphone by using a mobile app. May be inspected visually or electronically validated by a QR code or near-field communication. nonporous station. Station that has limited access points; generally, stations that are subter- ranean (e.g., subway), elevated, or in a protected right-of-way (e.g., in the median of a highway). Nonporous stations may make installation of barriers and gates more cost-effective. off-board fare collection. Purchasing fare from ticket vending machine, agency ticket office/ booth, or mobile app before boarding transit vehicle or entering fare-paid area. off-board inspection. Proof-of-payment inspection that occurs on platforms or in fare-paid areas as opposed to on board transit vehicles. offboarding inspection. Proof-of-payment inspection that occurs as passengers exit a transit vehicle (different from “off-board inspection”). onboard collection. Passengers pay the fare on board a transit vehicle by depositing cash into a farebox, tapping a smart card at an onboard smart card validator, showing or electronically validating a mobile ticket, swiping a stored-value magnetic stripe card/ticket, or presenting a valid paper ticket. onboard inspection. Proof-of-payment inspection that occurs on board a vehicle. passback. Use of fare media for additional passengers. Depending on an agency’s business rules for an electronic fare collection system (e.g., magnetic stripe tickets, smart cards), passbacks may be permitted and stored value deducted for additional passengers. However, many transit agencies restrict subsequent uses within a set time period (e.g., passholders cannot use pass for several minutes) to prevent a pass from being used to pay for two riders in a short period of time or prevent double charging the passenger. peace officer. Sworn law enforcement officer, including police officers, deputy sheriffs, and special constables. In addition to other authorities, these personnel have the power to make arrests. police officer. See peace officer. porous station. Station that has unrestricted access and may be accessed from multiple points, which makes limiting access (e.g., with gates, barriers) to paying passengers more difficult and costly. These are generally at-grade stations and may be accessed directly from the sidewalk. proof of payment. Physical display, on paper or digital media, that fare was paid. Also includes proper identification demonstrating a passenger’s eligibility for free or reduced fare. proof-of-payment system. System that requires passengers to purchase and validate fare media, either off board or on board, and then carry their proof of payment for the entirety of their journey. reduced fare. Reduced fare for persons such as youth, older adults, or persons with disabilities. Also referred to as a “concession fare” or “discount fare.” self-service fare collection. Fare system in which passengers are responsible for payment of a transit fare by using a ticket vending machine or validator and maintaining possession of a valid ticket or proof of payment. smart card. Reusable, contactless plastic card that is used for fare payment and may be loaded with stored value or a pass. standard operating procedures. Set of step-by-step instructions that provide clear directions to instruct personnel on how to conduct certain processes and carry out routine operations.

Glossary 209   station hardening. Installation of physical barriers (e.g., fare gates, turnstiles, fencing) at transit stations or platforms to mitigate certain forms of fare evasion. streetcar. Rail transit system operating entire routes predominantly on streets in mixed traffic; typically a single-car train that is powered by overhead catenaries and makes frequent stops. subway. Rail system that operates underground. sweep. Deployment of special fare enforcement teams; also referred to as “blitz,” “surge,” “mission,” “saturation inspection,” and “special enforcement detail.” systemwide patrols. Deployment of fare enforcement personnel to provide systemwide coverage at all times of day and all days of the week to provide the same probability of inspection across the system. ticket vending machine. A vending machine that produces paper or electronic tickets/passes or vends and reloads a smart card. transit account. An account linked to a specific credential designated for transacting transit fare payment and containing the rider type (e.g., adult, youth) and funds or fare product(s) for riding transit. turnstile. See fare gate. underhoused. Situation in which an individual does not have access to safe, secure, affordable housing and may either be living in overcrowded housing or living temporarily with family or friends or at a shelter. validator. Electronic device that can read one or more types of fare media and deduct fare or confirm a valid ticket/pass. Validators can be stand-alone units on platforms, installed into fare gates, or installed on board transit vehicles. walkaway. Passenger who exits a transit vehicle or fare-paid area upon observing fare enforce- ment personnel conducting proof-of-payment inspections. warning-first citation policy. Fare citation practice that calls for first-time fare evaders to be issued a warning in lieu of a citation. The policy usually establishes the number of allowable warnings in a set period of time (e.g., rolling 12 months) before issuance of a citation. zero-tolerance citation policy. Fare citation practice under which all fare evaders are issued a citation.