Mass Transit - 33

HE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
has forced the transit industry to face several setbacks,
including budget cuts, ridership decreases and, in
some cases, staff layoffs or
furloughs. But perhaps a silver lining from this tumultuous
time is the industry's willingness
to innovate and try new things at
an uncommonly fast speed.
Agencies have been moving
towards contactless fare collection before the coronavirus,
such as St. Louis Metro Transit's
(Metro) mobile ticketing pilot
program that was used for special events; New Jersey Transit's
(NJ Transit) mobile app used for
trip planning and real-time information; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's
(WMATA) SmarTrip® permanent,
rechargeable card.
While the world grapples with
understanding a "new norm,"
agencies such as these have prioritized their efforts to ensure a
safer, simpler and more convenient return for passengers by
expanding their contactless fare
collection solutions.

Masabi's Justride SDK, is visually
validated mobile tickets that can
be purchased in the Transit app.
St. Louis Metro is currently piloting three types of fares: MetroBus
One-Ride, MetroLink One-Ride
and Two-Hour Pass.
Mefford-Miller explains visual validation is just a temporary solution that needed to be
implemented quickly because
the agency resumed front-door
boarding and fare collection on
its bus and light-rail system but
temporarily suspended the issuance of paper transfers to limit
the interaction between riders
and operators.
"Because of our tight timeframe, I think it was three weeks
from RFP to implementation, we
really had to focus on what we
wanted for this temporary solution," she said. "Though our vendors I think are ready and willing
to quickly expand and grow the
program, we're limited right now
to what we've procured."

Speedy Innovation,
Rapid Implementation
St. Louis Metro

ST. LOUIS Metro security officers are able to
maintain social distancing thanks to the
visual verification of mobile fares.

As agencies work towards the
new norm, upgrades in fare
collection and contactless
payments not only reduce
touchpoints but also provide
data that can help improve
the service and network.
By Megan Perrero, assistant editor

St. Louis Metro Executive Director Jessica Mefford-Miller explains mobile ticketing is something the agency has wanted to
expand upon for several years.
"With COVID-19, it really
created a sense of urgency...and
a willingness as an organization
to move faster and to try new
things," Mefford-Miller said.
St. Louis Metro had already
been using the Transit app as its
preferred app for trip planning,
so potential vendors responding to the Request for Proposal
(RFP) were required to not only
have a validation process with
the Transit app but also deliver a
product within a matter of weeks.
The solution, powered through

St. Louis Metro

A PASSENGER activates a
mobile ticket via the Transit
app, St. Louis Metro's preferred
app for planning, booking and
paying for trips.

That's why St. Louis Metro is
currently working on an RFP for a
next generation, more permanent
fare collection system, "but we are
still embracing this momentum
and desire to roll something out
quickly," Mefford-Miller added.
In an ideal world, Mefford-Miller says the agency wants
a system with a mobile ticketing

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit |

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