Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Duluth Transit Authority (DTA), Rochester Genesee Regional Transport Authority (RTS) and St. Louis Metro Transit are the first transit agencies to upgrade all of their riders to Transit Royale, the new subscription in the Transit app.
Riders on these systems now have access to a free Royale subscription, which unlocks additional features, special agency branding, new customization options and complete access to the app across the more than 300 cities supported worldwide.
In August 2021, Royale launched in cities where transit agencies had not already chosen Transit as their official or recommended app for riders. This announcement marks the next step for Royale, with the first cohort of partner agencies gifting Royale to all their riders and additional agencies planning announcements in the coming months.
As the update rolls out over the next week, riders in Dayton, Duluth, Rochester and St. Louis will see a screen informing them that their agency is upgrading them to Transit Royale. From there, users can simply tap to redeem their free subscription.
With Royale, riders have access to power features such as customizable themes, personalized emojis that allow riders to become celebrities on their local transit line and leaderboards for users competing to help the most riders with Transit’s GO crowdsourcing feature.
These agency partnerships also unlock the ability for riders to switch the app icon and theme to match the agency’s branding – offering riders a mobile app experience that is both universal and locally-branded.
“Since Guillaume and I started Transit almost a decade ago, our mission has been to help people get around without their own car. As the company has grown, we’ve always put public transit first, working closely with our partners across the industry to bring everything riders need together in one place,” said Sam Vermette, CEO of Transit. “By providing free Royale subscriptions to everyone who rides, our transit agency partners are working hand-in-hand with our team to unlock the best app experience for riders. As we launch Royale with our long-time partners in Dayton, Duluth, Rochester, and St. Louis, I’m especially proud of how far we’ve come together.” In Rochester, nearly 40% of all RTS riders regularly add value to their RTS Go account using Transit, and were recently joined by Duluth Transit Authority riders in using Transit to pay for trips and track their rides in real-time.
Dayton RTA, DTA, RTS and St. Louis Metro have already successfully launched Transit app integrations. All four agencies were among the first of more than 50 systems to support mobile ticketing in the app.
“We want the very best for our riders, so partnering with Transit to upgrade DTA customers to Royale is a great complement to all of the exciting things happening with the Better DTA Movement,” said David Clark, director of marketing at Duluth Transit Authority. “Having launched myDTA mobile ticketing in Transit just a few months ago, this is a natural next step for us. Transit Royale enables us to provide our riders with the very best all-in-one app experience.”
Dayton RTA, with Tapp Pay ticketing in Transit, is among the first transit agencies in the United States to completely eliminate cash onboard.
“We began our partnership with Transit in 2016. Today, one in three RTA riders uses the app each day to plan and pay for their trip,” said Brandon Policicchio, chief customer and business development officer at the Greater Dayton RTA. “Our relationship with Transit has made it possible for us to offer our passengers everything they need to ride with the top-rated app. We’re excited for this new chapter and look forward to providing Royale for our customers.”
In St Louis, Metro’s microtransit service, Via Metro STL, is available in Transit so riders can easily combine on-demand and fixed-route service in zones across the region.
“Our partnership with Transit has provided our riders with a wonderful transit resource, which has also been an invaluable tool throughout the pandemic to communicate service and policy changes to customers and provide them with a contactless fare option,” said Taulby Roach, president and CEO of Bi-State Development, which operates the Metro Transit system in the St. Louis region. “We are excited to upgrade this resource for all of our riders with Transit Royale. They will have access to all of the latest innovations and features, ensuring they have the best app experience available.”
Through Royale, Transit is building a future where it can work with agencies to remain focused on riders’ needs, steer free of privacy-invading advertising, and ensure that its success is directly connected to providing riders and agencies alike the best app experience possible.
“As the innovative mobility choice in our region, RTS is helping our customers stay on the leading edge of technology with real-time bus information and mobile fare payments,” said Bill Carpenter, CEO of the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority. “We enjoy our partnership with Transit because they help us serve our customers well. RTS is excited to upgrade all our customers to Transit Royale, and provide the best all-in-one app experience for our customers.”
