The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) in Wisconsin is one of the latest transit agencies to adopt a software-as-a-service platform to allow the agency to quickly and easily launch account-based ticketing for riders. The new system allows riders to load mobile devices or smart cards with funds, reducing the need for traditional fare collection.
“Riders will experience a simplified, more modern payment system with more convenient options because of advanced technology,” said Kristina Hoffman, director of marketing and communications, MCTS. “Thanks to more sales outlets and an ‘all-in-one’ fare-payment and trip-planning app, the new system will boost transit equity and create a better rider experience, both of which are always our goals.”
MCTS is using the Umo platform, a “plug-n-play” technology solution by transit technology company Cubic Transportation Systems.
“When you think about the mega cities, and the staff capabilities, and the infrastructure — IT and marketing, and all the different departments that are really able to create a very bespoke, customized system — that comes with layers of complexity that for a lot of those midsized agencies, either they don’t have the funding, the time or really the desire. They’re looking for something that is much more plug-n-play,” said Bonnie Crawford, vice president and general manager for Umo.
In the last year, the company has seen an increase in the adoption of its product, said Crawford, adding the company has been signed by 44 agencies in the United States and Canada, and has launched 12 partnerships in the last year.
An easy-to-use, web-based platform for trip-planning and fare payments has become the expectation among riders, say transit watchers. In a survey of riders last year by TransLoc, a transit technology company, some 74 percent of survey takers said they want apps or tech features to improve the transit experience. These can come in the form of real-time vehicle-crowding data, or technology that integrates trip-planning across multiple modes and payments.
“It’s about giving riders the information to make choices,” said Austin Stanion, manager of solutions engineering at TransLoc, during a roundtable discussion in September 2021 with TransLoc to discuss the survey findings. “And again, I think that expectation of what information is available to them is going to increase as we see these new developments in technology.”
In Milwaukee, the new platform will help to speed up boarding, helping buses to stay on schedule — also an expectation of riders, said Hoffman.
“Riders want fast, reliable service and our new system will speed up the boarding process as well as make purchasing fares easier and more convenient,” she added.
The benefits are not just for riders, said Crawford, pointing to fleet management features of the platform.
Fleet functionality features free up operator and maintenance times, updating communications and data management with the vehicles. The technology also enables quicker deployment of the bus fleets and functions.
Umo has also rolled out “regional functionalities,” which allows riders to more seamlessly transfer from one regional transit system to another, and smoothing the transfer of fares and other data among transit agencies.
“Traditionally, you would have a ‘transfer,’ where you might be transferring from one system to another. And if the fare policy wasn’t created in such a way to allow that seamless passing of money back and forth, from a rider perspective it got a little challenging,” Crawford explained.
Transit agencies using the regional functionality report reducing cash collection onboard by about 10 percent.
“So riders pay once. They’re able to transfer seamlessly between the agencies. They don’t have to buy multiple products. And then the system is able to divvy up the funds between the agencies in a really seamless manner,” said Crawford.
The added functionalities of the system did not go overlooked by Milwaukee transit.
“The goal of the new system was not cost savings, but rather … a simplified and equitable fare structure, and the ability to grow with us,” said Hoffman. “This project represents an investment in transit and our riders.”
