California Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology

This study analyzes data collected from an on-line survey of U.S. transit agencies to (1) gauge current levels of interest in smart card technologies, (2) document the current status of smart card system adoption among transit agencies, the degree of planning and implementation, and levels of participation in interagency collaborations, and (3) examine factors common to agencies that have adopted smart card technology and those that have not.

Reflecting significant diversity in their goals and objectives, operating environments, financial conditions, and clients served, transit agencies have different levels of need and interest in smart card technology and interoperability. We find that: (1) the extent of consideration and adoption of smart card technology and interoperable systems varies by a number of factors, such as funding availability and partnerships with other operators for other ITS technologies, and (2) the perceptions of benefits, costs, and risks of smart card technologies vary by the extent of smart card system planning and implementation.

These findings suggest that transit system managers are often uncertain about the costs and, particularly, the benefits of moving to smart cards; this is especially the case for the often complex interoperable smart cards systems.