The city of Culver City, Calif., and rabbittransit have partnered with transit technology companies to better the customer experience.

Culver City adds Transit app to Culver CityBus experience  

The Transit app is now the recommended app for Culver CityBus riders through a Royale sponsorship. With Royale, Culver City notes riders gain access to unlimited departure schedules, additional trip planning options, custom app themes and icons and more. Culver CityBus can also communicate with riders through the app, keeping them informed of important changes and events as they happen. 

The Transit app helps users navigate public transit in 1000 cities in 28 countries around the world with multi-modal trip planning and nearby departure times. 

“Reliable public transportation begins with giving riders clear, timely information they can use with confidence,” said Culver City Mayor Freddy Puza. “Our partnership with Transit makes it easier to plan trips, receive real-time service updates and navigate Culver CityBus from one convenient app. This is another important step in our ongoing work to improve the rider experience and make sustainable transportation more accessible to everyone.” 

Transit and Culver CityBus are also improving the rider experience regarding service disruptions, as planned detours, service changes and disruptions in Culver CityBus’s real-time feed will appear for riders on the map and influence the trip planner results in the Transit app. 

“Our mission has always been to help people get around without their own car,” said Transit app CEO Sam Vermette. “Every month we help eight million people around the world navigate their cities by bus, train, foot, bike and more, and that wouldn’t be possible without our agency partners. We’re proud to be working hand-in-hand with Culver CityBus to unlock the best app experience for their riders.” 

Modeshift launches rabbitPAY on rabbittransit 

Modeshift launched rabbitPAY, a new account-based fare collection platform designed to make paying for mobility services easier, more flexible and more affordable on rabbittransit systems. 

The rabbitPAY platform introduces mobile ticketing, reloadable smart cards, automatic fare capping and real-time account management tools for riders using Capital Region, Gettysburg, Shippensburg and York fixed-route services, as well as rabbitEXPRESS, Capital Region Commuter Routes and Stop Hopper services. 

With automatic fare capping capabilities available on fixed urban and fixed rural services, Modeshift notes riders can simply pay as they go. Once they reach the cost of a monthly pass, additional rides during that month are free, ensuring riders automatically receive the best available fare without needing to purchase a pass upfront. 

"rabbitPAY represents a major step forward in providing a more convenient and modern transit experience for our riders," said rabbittransit Executive Director Richard Farr. "rabbitPAY makes paying for transit as easy as tapping a phone or smart card while ensuring riders automatically receive the best fare available. Our goal is to remove barriers and make public transportation even more convenient, accessible and user-friendly for the communities we serve." 

Key features of rabbittransit’s new fare collection system include: 

• Mobile app: Riders can download the rabbitPAY app for Apple or Android devices to purchase fares, manage their accounts and validate tickets using QR codes directly from their smartphones. 

• rabbitPAY account: Riders can create personal profiles to manage travel, view past purchases, buy passes and add funds to smart cards or digital wallets. 

• Web portal: Riders can also purchase fares, manage their accounts and add funds through an online web portal. 

• Fare capping: Riders automatically receive the best available fare. Once they reach the cost of a monthly pass, additional rides during that calendar month are free. 

• Smart cards: A reloadable card option for those without mobile devices, which can be reloaded in person or online. 

• Data-driven planning: The digital platform generates real-time usage insights to help rabbittransit optimize service, improve operations and support future planning. 

According to Modeshift, as the rollout continues, rabbittransit will become the first transit agency to deploy Modeshift's new validating fareboxes while continuing to expand the rabbitPAY platform with ticket vending machines and, at a later stage, open payment. Together, the enhancements will unify cash payments, contactless bank cards, mobile wallets, mobile ticketing, smart cards and account-based payments within Modeshift's integrated 360-degree fare collection platform. 

"rabbittransit is building one of the most modern and flexible fare collection systems in the state," said Modeshift CEO Miroslav Katsarov. "By bringing together digital payment options, farecapping and soon, our validating fareboxes through a single integrated platform, rabbittransit is creating a more seamless rider experience today while laying the foundation for future regional fare integration across Pennsylvania." 

Modeshift's account-based platform also supports interoperability between transit agencies, creating future opportunities for seamless regional travel and simplified fare payments as additional agencies in the state modernize their systems.