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Pompano Beach, FL March 2012
Launching a New Smart Card Program
How Tri-Rail Made it to EASY
Presenter: Renee Matthews EASY Card Program Manager
Introduction Agency Overview System Overview Implementation Process Challenges Customer Reactions/Feedback
Agenda
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The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) operates Tri-Rail, a commuter rail passenger service.
Operates on 72 miles of rail corridor in South Florida
Services Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties
18 stations
Connects with Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade bus systems, 2 express bus lines and 1 heavy rail line in Miami
Palm Tran Miami-Dade Transit Broward County Transit South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
Agency Overview
One of four Commuter Rail Line to use Smart Cards for Fare Collection
Tri-Rail is a Zone based fare system
50 train schedule on weekdays with 20 and 30 minute headways during peak
Carries approximately 13,000 passengers per
weekday with 15% - 20% of passengers transferring to or from regional transit systems
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Fare Equipment History
1989 – All ticket sales activity was performed by Ticket Agents
1995 – First automated ticket sales. Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) were installed at every station. Paper ticket system.
December 2010 - Entered into a contract for a new fare collection system with smartcard technology. February 2011 - Launched the new fare collection
system, introducing the “EASY Card” onto the TriRail system . The “Easy Card” was extended into the Tri-Rail system from the Miami-Dade Transit system where it was already in use.
SFRTA’s fare system is integrated with Miami-Dade Transit. Both systems are controlled by a common central computer system which is maintained by MDT
PARTNERSHIP WITH MIAMI-DADE TRANSIT
Administrates Central Computer
System
Shared Customer Service Center
for EASY card program
Clearinghouse Provider for Credit
Cards Transactions
Supports Network Maintenance
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Technological Initiative
EQUIPMENT HOW IT WORKS Ticket Vending Machines at all 18
stations
• 59 Full Service Ticket Vending
Machines (TVMs)
• 17 Cashless Ticket Vending
Machines
• Issue and reload EASY cards/tickets • Issue paper tickets
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Technological Initiative
EQUIPMENT HOW IT WORKS
Stand Alone Validators on each station platform
• 85 Stand Alone Validators
(SAVs)
Technological Initiative
EQUIPMENT HOW IT WORKS
Ticket Office Machines at all kiosks
• 6 Ticket Office Machines
(TOMs)
• Issue and reload EASY cards/tickets • Issue Paper tickets
• Remove card from/ add to hotlist • Register cards / access transaction
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Technological Initiative
EQUIPMENT HOW IT WORKS
Fare Inspection Hand Held Units
• 60 Hand Held Devices (HHU) • Docking stations for the HHUs
• Verify and process CSCs
• Tally paper POP ticket inspections • Display Repeat Offender List (ROL)
Technological Initiative
EQUIPMENT HOW IT WORKS
Five Photo ID Terminals • Imprint photo on Discount EASY Cards
12 1.Passengers Purchase a Fare Product
and load onto an EASY Card.
a. Fares include Regional passes, Monthly passes, trip passes and cash value
Technological Initiative (continued)
Basics on how the System Works
2. Passengers with smart cards “tap” the card on SAV before they board
3. Fare Enforcement Officers (FEOs) will verify that fare media is valid or issue a warning or ticket if invalid
a. FEOs will use HHUs to enforce fares onboard trains b. Passengers with Paper tickets show them to FEO
4. Passengers “tap” the SAV again when the exit the train
a. After this “tap”, the SAV will either update the usage information (trips/passes) or deduct value (stored value)
b. If they do not “tap” to exit, a fixed amount of stored value is deducted or their trip closes if no stored value is on card
Technological Initiative (continued)
14 5. Passengers can transfer with a regional
pass or with a non- regional pass and stored value
Technological Initiative (continued)
Challenges
Initial Equipment Installation
Educating the Customers and Employees
Transitioning existing fare structure to smart card
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Initial Equipment Implementation
Challenges:
Stations spread out over 72 miles
Two week installation schedule
Required multiple agency coordination efforts
Initial Equipment Implementation
Converted roughly 1 station per day
Operated a duel fare collection system
until new equipment was fully installed
Contractor responded to numerous
technical issues
Equipment technical issues significantly
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Impact of New Smartcard on Fare Structure
Nearly Doubled the Fare Product types
Limited types of Fare Products available on the smartcard
Complicated the fare structure
Introduced Stored Value
Impact of New Smartcard on Fare Structure
Created seamless travel between
Miami-Dade Transit system and Tri-Rail
Simplified transfers
Automated backend processing for
improvement to providing customer service
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Resistant to new way of using the system – Tap
on and Tap off
Many customers did not want anything to do with the new technology
Confusion on how to use stored value
Slow to embrace the concept of a regional card
- EASY card is good on both Tri-Rail and Miami Dade Lack of understanding on the new discount policy
Complicated the already complicated fare policy
Multiple transitions occurring at SFRTA
Educating the Customers and Employees
Conducted Employee Training Sessions
– Ticket Agents, Customer Service and Fare Enforcement Officers
Staffed Stations to assist Passengers for first
two weeks
Developed Customer Education Brochures
– Remains an Ongoing Process
Temporarily Relaxed the Fare Enforcement
giving passengers an opportunity to learn the new system
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Analyze
– Evaluate the fare structure and policy –
Consider making changes before introducing new fare card
– Engage all impacted departments throughout
planning & launch
– Evaluate the new operating environment and
develop new policies and procedures
– Identify new roles and responsibilities and who
will perform them
Plan
– Please!!! Don’t RUSH – Create a reasonable
implementation schedule
– Estimate about how much employee training
you think you need – then double it
– Create a card distribution plan – and a back-up
plan
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Communicate
– Discuss key new business rules with senior
management
– Focus on any big changes for key customer
groups first (Students, Seniors, ADA, Employer Disc Program)
– Solicit feedback from customer–facing staff on a
regular basis
– Establish controlled method for addressing
employee inquiry so everyone gets the same information
FUTURE REGIONAL PROJECTS
Florida Department of Transportation Project
Initiative is underway to provide the technology to connecting bus service - Broward and Palm Beach
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Questions
Contact Information
Renee Matthews
Director of Special Projects
South Florida Regional Transportation Authority Office (954) 788-7890
Cell (954) 410-8554 [email protected]