Event Date
Event Overview
Challenges faced by transit agencies with cash payments, an increasingly cashless society, and the expanding offerings of digital payment options have spurred increased interest in open-loop payments among transit operators. Pioneering transit agencies are adopting open payment systems that accept credit cards, debit cards, and smartphone/watch-based transactions. Open-loop transit fare payment removes the need for agency-specific fare media, can speed up boarding and reduce idling times, and remove challenges resulting from handling cash. However, there is a huge diversity among transit agencies and as such, agencies face different challenges and to different degrees when considering the adoption of open payment systems. In this webinar, Dr. Susie Pike, Director of the Transit Research Center at UC Davis, shed light on the challenges facing small to medium transit agencies in the transition of California’s transit systems to open-loop payment systems, and some of the opportunities that may make adoption of these systems more feasible.
View Project: "All Aboard! Easier Transit Travel with Standardized Payments"
View Susie Pike's presentation slides
Speakers
Dr. Susie Pike is the Director of the Transit Research Center at UC Davis and Research Faculty at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. Dr. Pike’s research bridges individual behavior, agency decision making, and sustainable transportation policy, considering diverse perspectives. Her recent work investigates the use of microtransit, declines in the use of active transportation modes, the impacts of fare free transit for youth, and the implementation of open-loop payments among transit operators. She has organized multiple large conferences to disseminate UC Davis research to policy makers and transit professionals in California and beyond. Dr. Pike is the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for her doctoral work on social influence in transportation mode choice and as a potential tool for sustainable transportation programs.