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    1. Technology
    2. Fare Collection
    3. Fare Collection Equipment

    Access-IS ticket validators help transform bus ticketing in Jacksonville

    March 4, 2020
    JTA selected Passport, Inc., to deliver a new mobile ticketing app and Access-IS to provide the on-board hardware.
    Related To: Access-IS
    Access-IS
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    Access-IS worked with Passport, Inc., to help deliver a modern ticketing ecosystem to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA).

    JTA wanted to launch a fully functional mobile ticketing solution that would provide an easier transit experience for their riders, says Access-IS. Along with other technological initiatives, this mobile ticketing app was a part of JTA’s larger vision of a more connected transit system. To coincide with the launch of Jacksonville’s new Bus Rapid Transit System (the First Coast Flyers) and other technology updates, JTA selected Passport, Inc., to deliver a new mobile ticketing app and Access-IS to provide the on-board hardware.

    Access-IS VAL100 validators were installed on more than 200 buses, with riders able to scan their mobile tickets through the MyJTA app as they board the bus, leading to reduced on-boarding time. The mobile ticket also includes passback logic, which prevents riders from rescanning tickets, therefore reducing fraud and protecting the agency against violators, according to the company.

    With increased mobile utilization, Access-IS says JTA saw a decrease in the amount of physical tickets printed, leading to more than $40,000 in savings from print and paper costs in the first year alone. In addition to these savings, mobile ticketing reduces the authority’s reliance on ticket vending machines that can be prone to wear and tear, and reduces administrative and maintenance processes.

    Year-on-year, JTA achieved a 550 percent increase on the mobile platform from mobile tickets bought through the app and that number continues to grow. With a mobile app, JTA can stay at the forefront of technology and make its transit system more accessible to its customers, possibly expanding its customer base. Catering to riders with printed and electronic barcodes or NFC tickets presented at any angle to a single point of presentation delivers an intuitive passenger experience.

    The VAL100 On-board Validator is designed for use in a variety of public transportation automatic fare collection systems. It combines a multimedia ticket reader with an open architecture Linux computer to create a mobile ticket validation solution when combined with third party software. The unit can be specified in multiple configurations to cater for any on-board or back end infrastructure and can be fitted with a contactless EMV payment reader.

    “Everything we do at JTA is with the customer in mind," said JTA CFO Greg Hayes. "This app and the on-board hardware give customers more choice, more flexibility and improves the customer experience. For the JTA, it’s much more cost efficient and it prepares us for the future.”