Summary - Transit Ticketing and Fare Collection in the US 2023

Contactless payments for transit, open loop payments and account-based ticketing are being increasingly deployed by transit agencies, operators and government agencies in the US. Focus is on moving away from legacy fare systems such as paper tickets towards contactless smartcards, bank cards, and mobile ticketing (including NFC-based, e-wallets and QR code-based) as fare media. Recent research by Global Mass Transit Research on 100 cities in the US reveals that AFC market size is expected to increase to USD3.5 billion by 2029. As new and advanced technologies are being introduced to support integration and interoperability, there is also a focus on prioritizing equity and inclusivity in transit.

The deployment of contactless payment technology raises several questions for a transit agency. These relate to technology choice (open-loop or closed-loop), stakeholder management, project delivery, financing models, etc. Other key areas of discussion include potential business models for the financial industry, integration of mobile payments and wallets with the existing infrastructure, digitalisation in public transport, effective collection and analysis of data, and data privacy and security. There is also an impact of new transportation business models such as Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), on-demand mobility, and shared mobility including ride-sharing and car-sharing, ride-hailing, micro-mobility, and bike-sharing on the automated fare collection (AFC) systems industry.

To discuss the potential of contactless payments, Global Mass Transit is organising the third conference on "Transit Ticketing & Fare Collection in the US" on November 1-2, 2023 at Marines' Memorial Club & Hotel, San Francisco.

The mission of this conference is to discuss key emerging trends in the transit ticketing and fare collection systems industry in the US, review case studies, highlight best practices, showcase technological innovations, explore solutions to key challenges, and discuss the way forward. It will also discuss the experience so far and plans of transit agencies to accelerate deployment of advanced fare collection systems while prioritizing equity, accessibility and inclusivity.

The two-day conference will have 12 targeted sessions with speakers providing insights and actionable advice to deploy advanced fare systems, highlighting developments and opportunities, and offering solutions to enhance the customer experience. The conference will also help participants understand the role of transit agencies, operators, fare system providers, hardware and software suppliers, acquirers and technology suppliers in establishing advanced, integrated and interoperable ticketing systems.

The event will bring together experts from leading transit agencies and operators, state/local governments, system integrators, technology and service provider firms, smartcard companies, technology and equipment manufacturers, mobile ticketing vendors, credit card companies, data architecture and IT firms, fare collection system suppliers, dynamic multiservice journey planners, taxi fleet operators, ride-hailing and ride-sharing service providers, micro-mobility providers, ticketing infrastructure providers, industry consultants, research and development organisations, financiers, technical institutes, etc.

Current status of fare payment systems, key technologies deployed
Imagining ticketing in a new era, developing a ‘touchless’ travel experience
Plans of transit agencies/operators for deploying contactless payment technology
Account-based ticketing (ABT) and open-loop payment systems: Case studies and future plans
Integration and interoperability across regions, new mobility solutions, value-added services
Opportunities in the deployment of contactless payment technology
Contactless payments for transit: Best practices in procurement, financing and deployment
Mobile ticketing and EMV cards for transit payments
Bank cards for transit ticketing, business models and strategies
Integration of mobile ticketing with the existing infrastructure
Key emerging mobility trends, technologies, and business models
Role of ABT and open payments in MaaS
Cooperation among different stakeholders
Data generation, data sharing, data analysis and privacy
Potential and benefits of data generated by the use of advanced ticketing systems
Innovative technologies in transit ticketing
Impact of new transportation business models such as on-demand mobility and shared mobility (ride-sharing, car-sharing, ride-hailing, micro-mobility, bike-sharing) on public transit and fare collection systems
Prioritising equity, accessibility and inclusion in transit through fare systems