Transition to smart card technology : how transit operators can encourage the take-up of smart card technology

This thesis explores and evaluates the essential strategies needed for transit agencies to switch from traditional fare collection systems to smart cards. More transit agencies today are investing in smart card technology as part of their new automated fare collection (AFC) systems. Although the benefits of switching to smart card systems have been well-researched and acknowledged by transit agencies, it is unclear how a transit agency should go about implementing a smart card system in order to achieve optimum customer acceptance and to reap maximum benefits from the system. Recent experience has shown that a range of implementation policy decisions can go a long way towards speeding or slowing down the adoption of the technology by customers. A case study approach is used here to identify and evaluate the effectiveness and impacts of policies used by five transit agencies that currently employ smart cards. These policies fall into two categories: 1) distribution, operational and usage policies, and 2) fare policies. Distribution, operational and usage policies must be designed to facilitate and enhance customer adoption of smart cards, especially in the case where alternative fare media will co-exist.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Hong, Yi, S.M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Nigel H.M. Wilson.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38237

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/38237