USING CREDIT CARDS TO PAY BUS FARES IN PHOENIX
In 1991 the City of Phoenix Public Transit System, first in the nation to install magnetic card readers on the electronic fareboxes in its buses, implemented a program known as Bus Card Plus, which billed employers for trips made by employees using employer-issued credit cards. 4 years later, Phoenix was again the first system to introduce a commercial credit card bus fare payment program which also relied on the magnetic card reader equipment. This report documents these two innovative programs, describing their background, objectives, development, equipment, operation, growth, and issues. The main objectives of the Bus Card Plus are to attract riders to the bus system, and to provide employers a means to record accurately their employees' use of public transit for compliance with Maricopa County's travel reduction ordinance. Bus Card Plus sales have more than tripled over the past three years, and are estimated to represent approximately 7% of annual Valley Metro bus boardings. The use of commercial credit cards to pay fares has expanded rapidly during its first few months, and is expected to be an asset for transit to the many out-of-town visitors attending the 1996 Super Bowl.
-
Corporate Authors:
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Cambridge, MA United States 02142Federal Transit Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Authors:
- Schwenk, J C
- Publication Date: 1996-1
Language
- English
Media Info
- Pagination: 44 p.
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bus transportation; Credit cards; Employer sponsored transportation; Fare collection; Fare prepayment
- Old TRIS Terms: Bus card plus
- Subject Areas: Finance; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00720907
- Record Type: Publication
- Source Agency: Federal Transit Administration
- Report/Paper Numbers: FTA-MA-26-0006-96-2
- Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
- Created Date: Apr 30 1996 12:00AM