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Transit Street Design Guide Index

Transit Street Design Guide
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Purchase Guide
Fares & Boarding

Fares & Boarding

Fare collection and boarding can be time consuming, accounting for half to a third of vehicle revenue time. Strategies that streamline fare collection and allow for multi-door boarding can dramatically speed up passenger boarding time, reducing dwell time and total run-time. 

FARE PAYMENT MEIDA

Cash Payment

  • Cash fares are paid to the driver upon boarding. On-board cash payment is time-consuming and should be discouraged.
  • In systems using proof-of-payment (PoP) fare control, riders paying cash receive a PoP ticket from the driver showing fare was paid.

Ticket Vending

  • Passengers purchase a ticket at a vending machine, which acts as a proof-of-payment.
  • Tickets may be bought at on-board or off-board vending machines using cash or card payment.

Radio Frequency ID (RFID) Card

    • Fares are paid using cashless RFID cards, which must be tapped at a reader to be validated.
    • On-board RFID readers are placed either at multiple doors as with PoP systems, or at the front door alone for systems with driver fare control.
    • Off-board RFID readers are placed at the stop. Riders scan their RFID cards before boarding the bus, reducing boarding times.
Modern on-board PoP fare payment using an RFID payment card, San Francisco (credit: SFMTA)

Modern on-board PoP fare payment using an RFID payment card, San Francisco (credit: SFMTA)

Mobile App

  • Tickets are purchased via smart phone using a mobile application.
  • Tickets may be instantly valid, or may require on-board validation by scanning a QR code displayed on the screen, or a device integrated with near-field communications (NFC)
  • Passengers must present the electronic ticket to driver upon boarding, or to fare control officers upon request.

FARE CONTROL METHODS

Proof-of-Payment (PoP)

  • Passengers receive a proof-of-payment (PoP) which must be presented to fare control officers upon request. PoPs may be physical or electronic “tickets.”
  • Many modern systems allow fares to be paid using cashless RFID cards or mobile apps.
  • Cash payments may be made to the driver, who will provide a ticket or receipt as proof-of-payment. Alternately, tickets may be purchased from an on-board vending machine.   
  • PoP tickets are typically valid for a specified amount of time after purchase or validation, such as 60 or 90 minutes.
  • PoP fare payment is required in systems that permit multi-door boarding.
  • PoP fare control requires consistent enforcement to be effective.
  • Fare inspectors make random checks to ensure riders have a valid ticket. Passengers without a ticket are assessed a fine.
Fare control officer checking proof-of-payment tickets, San Francisco (credit: SFMTA)

Fare control officer checking proof-of-payment tickets, San Francisco (credit: SFMTA)

Driver Fare Control

  • Most traditional bus and streetcar services use driver-controlled fare payment.
  • All passengers must board at the front door, where the driver ensures fares are paid.
  • Cash fares are paid into a farebox by the driver at the front door.
  • RFID cards must be tapped at a reader near the front door upon boarding.
  • Tickets, including physical tickets, mobile tickets, and passes must be presented to the driver for visual inspection.
  • Driver fare control can slow operations as drivers must collect fare payment in addition to operating the vehicle.

Turnstile Control

  • At enclosed stations, turnstiles may be used to control passenger entry.
  • Fares may be paid using machine-readable tickets, RFID cards, or other fare media like tokens.
  • Access may be manually controlled by a station attendant, who can collect cash or tickets.
  • Gated systems are difficult to implement at on-street stations. High platforms and active enforcement are usually needed.

PoP PAYMENT STYLES

On-Board PoP Payment

  • RFID farecards must be tapped upon boarding.
  • Systems using PoP fare control can place RFID readers at multiple doors, allowing for passengers to board at any door.
  • In systems using driver fare control, an RFID card reader is placed near the front door.
  • On-board ticket vending machines can be installed where physical PoP tickets are required and installing machines at every stop is not feasible.
  • Some mobile apps require that mobile tickets be validated by scanning a QR code upon boarding.
A multi-day mobile ticket is validated on-board by scanning a QR code, Austin (credit: CapMetro)

A multi-day mobile ticket is validated on-board by scanning a QR code, Austin (credit: CapMetro)

Off-Board PoP Payment

  • Off-board RFID readers or ticket vending machines are placed at the stop. Riders scan their RFID cards before boarding the bus, reducing boarding times.
  • Off-board fare collection can significantly reduce passenger boarding times, with dwell per passenger falling from about 4 seconds to 2–2.5 seconds.
  • Providing off-board ticketing machines may be expensive.
  • See Fare Vending for more information about off-board fare vending.
Select Bus Service off-board PoP ticket vending machine, New York (credit: NYC DOT)

Select Bus Service off-board PoP ticket vending machine, New York (credit: NYC DOT)

VEHICLE BOARDING TYPES

Multi-Door (or All-Door) Boarding

  • Passengers may board at multiple doors.
  • Used with PoP fare systems.
  • Reduces per-passenger dwell time significantly, especially at high-use transit stops.
  • Faster boarding times move buses faster in congested areas, and move pedestrians faster on crowded sidewalks.
  • Passengers must board with a valid ticket, tap their RFID card or validate their ticket upon boarding, or purchase a ticket from the driver or an on-board vending machine.
  • Gather information before and after implementation; invest in automatic passenger counters, or employ short-term counting staff, to assess boarding times, volumes, and improvements.
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Front Door Boarding

  • All passengers board through the front door.
  • Traditional transit operations commonly use driver fare control, requiring drivers to both operate the vehicle and collect fares, and resulting in slowed operations.

References