Use of Automated Buses on Connecticut’s CTfastrak BRT
The Takeaway The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is preparing to launch the first American pilot of full-sized, automated buses. In early 2023 CTDOT will deploy three automated and electric buses on CTfastrak, a 9.4-mile limited-access busway linking New Britain and Hartford. In 2020 CTDOT received $2M in Federal [...]
Miami-Dade Transit: Incentivizing Behavior through Travel Rewards Programs
The Takeaway In 2019 Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) began working with Velocia, a startup, to incentivize specific travel behaviors. Residents could earn credit—called “VELOs”—for actions such as riding the train to the airport, boarding a bus outside of peak times, or taking a bikeshare trip. VELOs could then be redeemed for rewards including ride hail, carshare, and bikeshare. In [...]
Ohio’s NEOride and EZFare Multi-Agency Mobile Ticketing Agency
The Takeaway In 2019, 13 small and mid-sized transit agencies across Ohio jointly adopted EZfare, a mobile ticketing platform that integrates with each of their systems. Working through NEORide, a non-profit organization supporting statewide public transportation, the agencies were able to negotiate a better financial arrangement by leveraging their collective buying [...]
Innovations in Mobility: Shared Bikes and E-bikes in the Capital Metro Transit Portfolio
Shared Bikes-- and E-bikes-- in the Transit Portfolio: CapMetro and MetroBike The Takeaway In September 2020 Austin’s Capital Mero Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) began co-managing the local bikeshare system after a transfer of 50% control from the City of Austin. Rebranding the system as “MetroBike,” Capital Metro envisions integrating it with existing transit service, providing first mile-last mile connectivity and [...]
Marin’s Connect2Transit: Combining Services in a Single Platform
The Takeaway Marin Transit and the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) contracted with Uber to create Connect2Transit, a user-friendly platform combining multiple on-demand service and real-time transit information. Connect2Transit leverages Uber’s routing software to optimize shuttle routes, with booking available on the Uber app (along with real time information [...]
OMNY: New York MTA’s New Contactless Payment Platform
The Takeaway New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is currently rolling out OMNY, a new contactless payment platform that initially allows riders of buses and subways to pay for transit with the tap of a credit card, debit card, or smart phone when they board. Until 2023, riders [...]
Transit as a Micromobility Manager: The Dayton RTA Experience
The Takeaway The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has taken a hands-on approach supporting the use of shared bikes and scooters in the last five years. The authority has become the operator of Link, the local bikeshare system, and also the maintenance provider for Spin (owned by Ford) [...]
KCATA and Microtransit
The Takeaway The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) is now running its second pilot involving microtransit, shuttles whose schedules and routes can adjust based on changes in passenger demand. Microtransit’s supporters say it can provide better experiences for riders who can request a trip specific to their origin [...]
Sacramento RT and Micromobility Integration
The Takeaway Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) has adopted a groundbreaking micromobility strategy to address the “first mile/last mile problem.” The agency has partnered with JUMP, an electric micromobility provider, to offer on-demand access to and from light rail stations. SacRT has worked with JUMP to install charging bays [...]
TriMet’s Hop Fastpass- Open Architecture in Fare Payment
The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), the primary public transportation provider in Portland, utilized a novel approach to build the Hop Fastpass, its public transit payment system that first launched in 2017 and has steadily added new features. Instead of building a closed fare payment system with [...]
A Denver RTD Program: Enabling Payment of Transit Trips Through The Uber App
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver is poised to become the first public transit agency in the United States to sell tickets through a ride hail app. Users of the Uber app in Denver currently see public transit options alongside ride hail, and in the second quarter of [...]
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s TD Late Shift Program
To help low-income residents travel to and from work when bus service is not available, the public transportation authority of Pinellas County, Florida, created the TD Late Shift program with private partners Uber and United Taxi, and Care Ride (wheelchair provider). Launched in 2016, the program provides fully-subsidized ride [...]
