Is Your Agency Ready for the Next Generation of Transit?

American public transportation is facing a complex landscape of shifting ridership, financial pressure and workforce shortages. As agencies seek a path forward, a new generation of Software-as-a-Service, cloud-native and interoperable mobility platforms offer proven solutions. Our innovative platform, already demonstrating success across hundreds of networks in Europe and Canada, provides a blueprint for a more efficient and user-friendly future. 

How can technology boost ridership and secure revenue? 

The first challenge is financial sustainability. Fluctuating ridership demands more flexible and efficient revenue collection. Modern Account-based ticketing platforms are central to this evolution. By making payment seamless with contactless cards and mobile wallets, these systems reduce passenger friction and dependency on cash fares. The operational benefits are just as compelling.  

In Drummondville, Canada, implementing an advanced fare management system led to 60 percent less manual processing overall and significant annual savings. Similarly, the transit network in La Rochelle, France, saw 45 percent of all its validations shift to open payment systems within a single year, demonstrating how a frictionless experience can drive both ridership and revenue. This ease of use encourages spontaneous travel and widens access for new users, directly translating into increased revenue. 

How can agencies boost efficiency to do more with less workforce? 

The nationwide labor shortage is pressuring agencies, creating both administrative and operational workforce shortages. In this environment, technology acts as a crucial force multiplier, automating manual processes to allow strained staff to focus on higher-value tasks. In cities like Ferrara and Bologna, Italy, the automation of complex processes like timetable creation has slashed planning time by up to 80 percent.  

This same principle applies to service quality. In Spanish, cities such as Valencia and Alicante, digital collaborative reporting tools empower staff and passengers to report issues in real time. This streamlines maintenance and demonstrates a commitment to quality without overburdening the workforce. This also leads to deeper engagement between networks and their users, who become active contributors to service quality. Ultimately, easily accessible, reliable travel information provides fast, fair and seamless access to public transportation, which encourages its use and positively impacts the rider's experience. 

How can data align transit supply with real-time demand? 

Perhaps the most strategic challenge is adapting static transit networks to dynamic passenger flows. For years, agencies have struggled with siloed data, making it difficult to ground planning decisions in hard evidence. Today, artificial intelligence-powered analytics platforms are breaking down these barriers. Leading U.S. agencies are now piloting these advanced solutions to transition from reactive to proactive planning. One key initiative on the Port Authority Trans-Hudson system, which serves New Jersey and New York City, aims to analyze ridership data accurately to optimize schedules and improve communication with passengers.  

Leveraging validation data and video feeds allowed Matawan to reconstitute origin/destination matrices and project passenger loads on each train in just four weeks. These advances in data analysis can drive meaningful improvements in all agencies’ quality of service, such as by informing passengers of anticipated crowding or proactively launching additional vehicles. This granular understanding is transformative. On a larger scale, this same principle of data unification—as seen in France's Occitanie region where data from 13 authorities is integrated—proves that these solutions can be implemented efficiently and are scalable across complex transit ecosystems.  

What is the path forward for U.S. transit? 

The future of a thriving public transit system in the U.S. depends on the strategic adoption of these technologies. They are not futuristic concepts but field-tested solutions that directly address the core industry challenges of financial stability, operational efficiency and strategic planning. With a deep track record across hundreds of networks in Europe and Canada, Matawan is now bringing this integrated expertise to the U.S, offering a powerful toolkit for agencies ready to build the next generation of American public transit, promising a more accessible, efficient and financially sustainable future for urban mobility.