Lessons from the Transit Roundtable

We got some transit agency rockstars into a room for a day of real talk

August 19, 2024

What happens when you get some of the hardest-working folks in the transit biz together in a room and ask them to talk through the highs and lows of their work?

You get camaraderie between the public servants who toil day-in, day-out so buses arrive often and on-time. And you get to dig into the nitty-gritty of how entire teams make sure information gets from on-the-ground transit workers, onto your phone, as soon as something goes sideways.

In short: you learn a lot about what works well… and what doesn’t.

The first Transit Roundtable, back in 2022 at our Montreal HQ, brought together Canadian transit systems. This year, our one-day event in Philadelphia (right before the big APTA Tech event) had a roster of transit agencies of all sizes, right across the USA — from titans like MBTA in Boston, WMATA in DC and SEPTA in Philly, to small-but-mighty systems from Missoula, Bakersfield, and beyond.

They talked about the challenges they have in common, discovered approaches that can help make things better for riders, and got a sneak peek into what we’re planning next here at Transit.

Cue the highlight reel!

Collage of photos showing transit agency staff at the Transit Roundtable event in Philadelphia. People talking to each other in small groups, listening to speakers at panel sessions, and in a group photo.

Getting quality real-time information to riders

Session featuring:
CapMetro (Austin, TX), MBTA (Boston, MA), MDOT MTA (Baltimore, MD)

Agencies that know what to measure also know what needs to be improved. Start with the ETA Accuracy Benchmark, but also look at other factors that impact riders, like refresh rates, uptime, and jittery predictions.
Compare the quality of data coming from different vendors to make sure you’re using backend systems that get your riders the highest-quality real-time information possible.

Panelists speak before the audience during a session.

The devil is in the details! For example: ensure there are proper block assignments, and that your definitions of “acceptable” match rider expectations.
Show others in your transit agency why high-quality GTFS information for riders matters to them, whether that’s in reduced customer service complaints, or accurately showing the hard work done by planning and scheduling teams.

What makes a good bus stop?

Session featuring:
KCATA (Kansas City, MO), MARTA (Atlanta, GA), WMATA (Washington, DC)

Transit agencies have thousands upon thousands of bus stops. Most are little more than a pole in the ground, lacking somewhere to sit or protection from the elements. Listen to what riders are saying about where and what needs improvement the most!

A breakout group poses for a photo around a conference table.

Bus stops are often managed by municipalities or through advertising contracts. But you can make the case for a transit agency to directly fund bus stop improvements by looking at the relatively small cost, and the large numbers of riders who benefit, especially compared to the cost-benefit analysis for many other capital projects.
Funding a pilot, evaluating its success, and expanding to additional bus stops is a useful way to go.
Ultimately, the best bus stop is one where you don’t have to wait very long.

Visual separator - Statue of Rocky holding a Philly cheeseteak above his head

Fairer Fares

Session featuring: Monterey-Salinas Transit (Monterey, CA), NEORide (Ohio), RTS (Rochester, NY)

Changing the way you collect fares is also an opportunity to rationalize and streamline your fare schedule, making it easier for both riders and the agency.
Account-based ticketing enables programs like fare capping, which helps riders who aren’t able to shell out for a monthly pass all at once.
Verification of discount fares (for veterans, seniors, EBT recipients, etc.) requires collaboration with other agencies.

A breakout group speaks with each other around a conference table.

How to handle cash-only riders? Cash digitization programs with participating retailers can help, but there’s still a desire to accept cash onboard in some form.
Fare collection projects are big and complex! They often take years to prepare and roll out, but riders appreciate it when a system makes it easier to pay by mobile phone, credit or debit.

Disruption info that can actually
be understood by humans

Session featuring: MBTA (Boston, MA), SEPTA (Philadelphia, PA)

Get everyone into the same room to figure out what can be improved. The flow of information involves front-line staff, dispatchers, the control center, customer information teams, and eventually riders themselves.
A social media post is not good enough. And often, a service alert is not the best means of communication! Make sure you’re using app-readable formats to handle cancelled trips or detours.

Attendees listen to a presenter as he points to the a map on the screen.

If you are writing a service alert, follow best practices. Be concise and clear. Use the most specific metadata categorizations possible, so apps and other platforms correctly display the info.
There’s a self-reinforcing pattern: when riders get good info, they learn to trust the agency. With late, low-quality or confusing information, that trust is broken.

Some of the work might not be particularly glamorous. But whether it’s updating a fare schedule, monitoring the refresh rate on a real-time feed, or writing a service alert: each piece makes public transit that much easier to use, and makes life that much better without a car.

Our cities need transit service that’s frequent, fast, and reliable, and streets that are safe for everyone to walk and bike. It takes more than just an app to get there. There are public servants in every city working to make this a reality. At Transit, we have an important supporting role.

Whenever someone opens the app, we want them to see how easy it can be to get around car-free, to experience how great life can be without a car, and to help elevate their voices — so their commutes, their transit systems, and their cities can become that much better.