The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has awarded Kapsch TrafficCom a contract to design, develop, implement, support, and maintain a turnkey regional mobile ticketing system (MTS).
The new MTS will allow MARTA riders to order, pay, and electronically validate tickets using their mobile smart devices via a mobile application as well as directly through the mobile ticketing website. The system enables users to access MARTA’s transit system within Atlanta, GA and surrounding communities. MARTA is the ninth-largest rapid transit system in the US, spanning almost 50 miles of rail and over 1,400 miles of bus routes. Every weekday, over 500,000 people rely on MARTA for transportation.
The MARTA project, with a value of just under $11m, will be delivered through the cooperation of Kapsch sister companies Kapsch TrafficCom, Kapsch CarrierCom, and Kapsch Public TransportCom.
The MTS simplifies the process of buying and validating fares, enabling users to purchase tickets at their convenience and manage commutes without the need to visit a kiosk. Additionally, patrons can validate fare purchases via electronic validators when entering and exiting both buses and unmanned rail stations.
MARTA’s award of the contract to Kapsch originated with a competitive pilot program in which participants demonstrated their ability to achieve MARTA’s predefined goals and functionality requirements using their proposed MTS solutions. Kapsch conducted full system testing in a real-world environment and successfully provided evidence that the proposed solution was viable.
"MARTA is proud to be one of the first public transit agencies to implement Mobile Ticketing, and we are happy to offer this mobility option for our riders. MARTA is excited to roll out this project together with Kapsch," says Hsi Ming, CIO of MARTA.
The MTS will provide mobile ticketing for all of MARTA’s 38 rail stations, 565 fixed route buses and 210 paratransit buses. This project will also allow MARTA’s regional partners the option to participate in mobile ticketing. Those partners include fixed route service for Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and Atlanta Streetcar, as well as fixed route and paratransit service for Gwinnett County Transit and CobbLinc.
Kapsch, along with experienced partners Bytemark and TransTrack Systems, will deliver a mobile ticketing app and website, a customer service tool for account management, electronic validators, as well as an account based back-office solutions for MARTA to manage and operate the MTS. Customised dashboards and reporting along with maintenance and support services are also included.
