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From page 18... ... 18 This chapter presents the results of nine case examples. First, the process for selecting case examples and the methods for compiling them are briefly discussed, then the results of each case example are presented. Read the entire page →
From page 19... ... Case Examples 19 c. MBTA (Boston, MA) Read the entire page →
From page 20... ... 20 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services Collecting fares on the cable cars presents a unique challenge. Because of the historic nature of the cable cars, which are the only moving national landmark in the United States, fare equipment has not been installed on the vehicles. Read the entire page →
From page 21... ... Case Examples 21 Motivation, Advantages, and Drawbacks of Cashless Muni's impetus for considering cashless fare collection on the cable cars was a 2017 Controller's Audit that estimated cash fares were not collected on cable cars 37% of the time. This was likely causing a substantial reduction in revenue. Read the entire page →
From page 22... ... 22 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services to cashless would allow conductors to focus on other tasks, particularly assisting with vehicle operations. Read the entire page →
From page 23... ... Case Examples 23 The primary market for the cable cars is tourists, who are a key population Muni considered for outreach and education. Muni coordinated with numerous local partners -- including the San Francisco Travel Association, a local hotel association, and a local concierge association -- to help inform tourists of the changes to the cable car fare system. Read the entire page →
From page 24... ... 24 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services Operational Aspects of WMATA's Fare Collection System The different modes operated by WMATA have different fare policies. The heavy rail system, called Metrorail or Metro, has a distance-based fare policy, whereas the bus system, Metrobus, which is the focus of this case example, has a flat fare structure. Read the entire page →
From page 25... ... Case Examples 25 The agency also recognized there could be some drawbacks to going cash-free; the primary concern was the small population of riders who wanted to pay cash and would be negatively affected by this change. For example, some of these riders might simply switch from the limitedstop service to the nearby local route, which would imply that the pilot had a negative impact on those riders. Read the entire page →
From page 26... ... 26 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services (which never happened) Read the entire page →
From page 27... ... Case Examples 27 The customer surveys revealed 62% of respondents wanted the pilot to be made permanent (including 58% of low-income riders) Read the entire page →
From page 28... ... 28 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services enough to warrant making the pilot permanent or expanding the program. One lesson learned is that the agency selected a route with low cash use before the pilot (only 9%) Read the entire page →
From page 29... ... Case Examples 29 Some of the earliest COVID-19 cases in the United States were on the West Coast, and in March 2020, as pandemic concerns grew, TriMet announced a temporary policy change of no longer accepting cash on buses "out of an abundance of caution" to protect operators and customers. Customers were encouraged to use the Hop system to pay fares. Read the entire page →
From page 30... ... 30 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services authority to temporarily suspend cash payments. After TriMet's lawyers explained this to the plaintiff's lawyers, the plaintiff took no further action, and the case was dismissed by the court for failing to prosecute the lawsuit. Read the entire page →
From page 31... ... Case Examples 31 Results and Future Plans The results of temporarily moving to cashless fare collection on TriMet buses during the COVID-19 pandemic are unclear since there were numerous service and policy changes during this timeframe. Moreover, there were substantial declines in ridership that made potential operational impacts difficult to ascertain, such as potential reductions in dwell times. Read the entire page →
From page 32... ... 32 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services Operational Aspects of NJ TRANSIT's Fare Collection System NJ TRANSIT bus and commuter rail systems have zone-based fare policies; period passes such as monthly passes are also available. Customers have three primary ways to prepurchase fares. Read the entire page →
From page 33... ... Case Examples 33 how much ticket enforcement was performed in light of minimal passenger travel and fear of the virus. The commuter rail service remained cashless until July 2020, when full weekday service and cash fare collection (including the prepandemic $5 surcharge) Read the entire page →
From page 34... ... 34 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services Considerations for Special Populations of Riders As discussed in the literature review in Chapter 2, one special population of transit riders to be considered when planning for cashless fare systems is the unbanked. The FDIC regularly collects survey data on the number of unbanked households in a region, and the most recent statistics for the state of New Jersey are shown in Figure 16. Read the entire page →
From page 35... ... Case Examples 35 • The primary motivation was public health concerns, especially operator and customer safety. Eliminating cash transactions on board reduced operator-customer interactions and ensured social distancing. Read the entire page →
From page 36... ... 36 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services too close to the bus operator. Instead, riders were instructed to prepay before boarding and were encouraged to purchase period passes on their ConnectCard at TVMs in rail stations, through the retail sales network, or on Port Authority's website. Read the entire page →
From page 37... ... Case Examples 37 Title VI analysis in preparation for launching a mobile app (discussed in the next section) Read the entire page →
From page 38... ... 38 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services Case Example 6: COTA The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) serves the Columbus, OH, metropolitan region, providing bus and demand-responsive transportation services. Read the entire page →
From page 39... ... Case Examples 39 Motivation, Advantages, and Drawbacks of Cashless One of the motivating factors to significantly reduce (if not eliminate) onboard cash fares was the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the entire page →
From page 40... ... 40 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services people to try these new payment options; however, the agency recognizes that changing behavior can be difficult, even when the new system has the potential to benefit riders. Policy and Regulatory Aspects Because COTA does not currently have specific plans to move to a cashless system, ADA and Title VI analyses have not been conducted. Read the entire page →
From page 41... ... Case Examples 41 COTA is also focusing on another population of riders: those whose primary language is not English. Communicating changes about the new fare system to these groups is vital. Read the entire page →
From page 42... ... 42 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services Case Example 7: Dayton RTA The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) serves the Dayton, OH, metropolitan region, with local bus and demand-responsive transportation services. Read the entire page →
From page 43... ... Case Examples 43 Source: RTA. Figure 24. Read the entire page →
From page 44... ... 44 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services fixed-route buses beginning November 1, 2021. Before implementation, RTA posted messaging about the move to cashless, such as the sign in Figure 26. Read the entire page →
From page 45... ... Case Examples 45 Despite these advantages, there are some challenges associated with the new fare payment system and reducing onboard cash payments. The biggest challenge thus far has been communicating with riders. Read the entire page →
From page 46... ... 46 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services Source: RTA. Figure 28. Read the entire page →
From page 47... ... Case Examples 47 survey data on the number of unbanked households in a region, and the most recent statistics for Ohio are shown in Figure 29. It should be noted that data specific to the Dayton MSA were not available for download, so the statewide numbers are shown instead. Read the entire page →
From page 48... ... 48 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services Q11: Do you have a checking or savings account? Answered: 792 Skipped: 16 Q12: Do you have or use a pre-paid or regular debit or credit card? Read the entire page →
From page 49... ... Source: RTA. Figure 31. Read the entire page →
From page 50... ... 50 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services Summary and Lessons Learned An overview of this case example and the lessons learned are as follows: • Over a 1-year period (2020–2021) , RTA gradually launched the first phases of a new accountbased fare payment system, Tapp Pay. Read the entire page →
From page 51... ... Case Examples 51 and single-use tickets, allowing them to be visually validated on commuter rail and ferry. The agency also has a fare app, but the app mTickets are only accepted on commuter rail and ferry. Read the entire page →
From page 52... ... Source: MBTA. Figure 35. Read the entire page →
From page 53... ... Case Examples 53 In addition to these sales channels, the MBTA intends to introduce a "one more trip" policy in the new account-based fare system; this will let customers carry a negative balance for one trip and transfer before reloading. The MBTA is introducing a card fee for purchasing a new CharlieCard, which, in addition to covering MBTA costs and making an expanded sales network economical, covers the negative balance a customer may accumulate while taking their "one more trip." The MBTA has budgeted for the distribution of free fare media to all reducedfare program participants and will partner with community-based organizations to ensure free fare cards end up in the hands of low-income riders who need them. Read the entire page →
From page 54... ... 54 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services Source: https://massdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Viewer/index.html? appid=927f1be32b0243af9d9ff68ec1311ddb. Read the entire page →
From page 55... ... Case Examples 55 Policy and Regulatory Aspects To address the needs of riders with disabilities, various components of the fare transformation project are being reviewed by the agency's Accessibility Office. For example, vetting the proposed design of TVMs and streetscape vending machines and considering the accessibility of retail sales locations. Read the entire page →
From page 56... ... 56 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services The MBTA has publicly recognized that the unbanked are an important population to consider in planning for cashless fare collection, particularly when identifying locations for new fare vending machines and retail fare sales. With input from customers and the community, the MBTA has identified six key principles to aid in the planning process and ensure equitable outcomes: 1. Read the entire page →
From page 57... ... Case Examples 57 the MBTA does have some evidence from a previous pilot program that suggests there may be operational improvements after the agency transitions to cashless all-door boarding. In 2017, the MBTA partnered with the Barr Foundation to pilot all-door boarding on the Silver Line bus rapid transit route, and dwell times decreased by approximately 50% (Jacobson 2017) Read the entire page →
From page 58... ... 58 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services In early 2020 (before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States) , Big Blue Bus accepted numerous forms of fare media, including cash at fareboxes, tokens, and magnetic-stripe (paper) Read the entire page →
From page 59... ... Case Examples 59 Motivation, Advantages, and Drawbacks of Cashless The initial motivation for considering a cashless fare system arose during the pandemic. As previously noted, Big Blue Bus temporarily halted fare collection for nearly 1 year due to COVID-19. Read the entire page →
From page 60... ... 60 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services fare program. However, many riders do not participate in this program, which is known as LIFE (Low Income Fare is Easy) Read the entire page →
From page 61... ... Case Examples 61 an app to pay their fares. An important lesson learned, therefore, is to prepare vehicle operators for common questions and recognize that operators play an important customer communications role during the transition period. Read the entire page →
From page 62... ... 62 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services In addition to riders without credit/debit cards and smartphones, another population of concern was undocumented riders. To address potential anonymity issues, Big Blue Bus ensured there were numerous convenient options to purchase and reload fares using cash. Read the entire page →
From page 63... ... Case Examples 63 Source: Big Blue Bus. Figure 44. Read the entire page →
From page 64... ... 64 Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services These changes in fare media usage have resulted in at least two operational changes. First, Big Blue Bus has been able to reallocate some staff (approximately two full-time employees) Read the entire page →

From page 18...

... 18 This chapter presents the results of nine case examples. First, the process for selecting case examples and the methods for compiling them are briefly discussed, then the results of each case example are presented.