Transit made Easy: Examining the adoption and impact of mobile fare payment technology among bus riders

Abstract

Mobile ticketing systems enable remote and easier access to fare payment for transit users. In this research, we examine the adoption and impact of EZfare – a mobile fare payment technology recently adopted by transit agencies in Ohio and Northern Kentucky. We hypothesize that EZfare adoption by riders across the study area will be different based on individual socioeconomic/demographic attributes. We also expect established EZfare users to travel more frequently over time compared to nonusers. We test these hypotheses with survey data of transit users between October 2020 – July 2022. We find that being unbanked or above 45 years of age reduced the odds of EZfare use by 60 % and 49 % respectively. While low-income status (household income below $20,000) was not significantly associated with later adoption, the highest earning respondents (income above $100,000) were almost 4 times as likely to be EZfare users. Also, the odds of EZfare use were at least 2.5 times higher for respondents who had no household vehicle or no driver’s license. We found that among EZfare users who had used the platform for at least six months, travel frequency to work and recreational activity was 16 % and 32 % higher respectively, compared to newer EZfare users and nonusers. This study provides empirical evidence that the adoption of mobile fare payment technology may be influenced by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The potential impact of this technology on the frequency of transit use suggests that adoption may be beneficial for transit providers and users.

Keywords

• EZfare
• Transit fare payment
• Mobile ticketing
• Smart card data
• Public transportation
• Transit survey