The agencies that have recently gone live are:
- KRT: Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority, the city bus system for the Charleston metropolitan area of West Virginia.
- TANK: The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky, the public transit system serving the Northern Kentucky suburbs.
- Cincinnati Metro: Cincinnati Metro is the public transit agency serving Cincinnati and its Ohio suburbs.
- AMTRAN: New to EZfare, Altoona Metro Transit (AMTRAN) is a public transportation service serving Blair County, Pennsylvania. It provides bus and paratransit service to Altoona, Hollidaysburg, and select communities in the region.
- CityBus: New to EZfare, CityBus is the public transit provider for the Greater Lafayette area in Indiana, including the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette.
The new ABT upgrade means that riders will always be guaranteed to get the lowest fare. Fare capping improves fare equity by ensuring all riders, regardless of income, have access to affordable transportation without the need to pay upfront for period passes.
The introduction of ABT ensures a seamless and flexible payment experience for all users, who will no longer need to select their fare or purchase a pass before boarding. Instead, they can simply tap their smart card or scan the barcode in the EZfare or Transit app to ride, benefitting from increased convenience and faster boarding times.
Smart cards are linked to online accounts, allowing users to easily manage and reload their accounts using the EZfare Rider Portal or the EZfare or Transit apps, eliminating the need to wait in line or use cash, and delivering a contactless, convenient way to pay for transit. These accounts can also be topped up with cash at select retail locations, Ticket Vending Machines, or at transit centers.
EZfare, the leading regional fare payment platform developed by NEORide in partnership with Masabi, is now used by 18 transit agencies across Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, West Virginia, and now Indiana and Pennsylvania. NEORide, the Council of Governments representing 39 transit agencies across 11 states, has pioneered the regionalization of public transit with EZfare, creating a seamless experience for riders across multiple counties and transit systems. It unites transit agencies under one easy-to-use digital fare solution, simplifying travel for residents and visitors alike. With EZfare, riders can move effortlessly across agency boundaries, increasing accessibility and fostering greater mobility throughout the region. Meanwhile, agencies benefit from economies of scale, reducing costs through shared resources and technology while improving operational efficiency.
“This launch marks a major milestone not just for NEORide, but for public transit agencies across the United States,” said Katherine Conrad, Executive Director of NEORide. “As the largest regional fare collection project in the country, and still growing, EZfare is proving that small and mid-sized agencies can work together to bring cutting-edge technology like Account-Based Ticketing to riders across multiple states. Through collaboration and shared innovation, we can democratize access to modern fare solutions - making fare equity, convenience, and seamless travel realities for transit agencies that may not have had the resources to implement these technologies on their own.”
“Account-Based Ticketing makes the experience of taking transit quicker, easier, and more cost-effective for riders, while at the same time bringing a range of knock-on benefits in terms of vehicle efficiency through reduced boarding times,” said Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi. “The speed and scale of these simultaneous launches across 5 transit agencies is evidence of the power of both EZfare and Masabi’s SaaS approach to delivering fare collection. Our Justride platform continues to evolve for all of our customers, bringing new features and functionality through regular upgrades. We’re proud to work with our partner agencies to deliver new innovations to ever more riders.”
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