MARTA Upgrades (Atlanta, Clayton: low crime, house, purchase)

[primaltech]

What we really need, is a free Uber to MARTA transfer, and a $2.50 discounted MARTA to Uber transfer.

[Atlanta Scientist]

Originally Posted by primaltech

What we really need, is a free Uber to MARTA transfer, and a $2.50 discounted MARTA to Uber transfer.

The companies themselves were offering this during the bridge collapse. Free tranfer between MARTA and a ride hailing company? Someone's losing money.

[primaltech]

I think it's about $15 for me to Uber to the Midtown MARTA station, then I guess it's $5 for 2 trips MARTA fare if I'm heading to the airport and then back when I fly in. Then $15 to Uber back to the condo. So about $35 for the whole deal.

If the MARTA fare was free with transfer (or $2.50 off of the Uber fare in the other direction, which is the same thing), then that's like almost 15% off.

And the deal gets a lot better if you live closer to a station, and the Uber fare is normally $6. Then the whole round trip is $12 instead of $17. About 30% off.

It would increase ridership for both, so that would be their angle in it. Give a better deal, build more regular habit customers and then make more money in the end.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

That's one way. The Seattle Streetcar did that when you just paid money.

The Phoenix system had passes that you could buy at the machines, and the transit police just had these little handheld readers that would scan the bar-code to verify a valid pass.

That's something that needs to be put into place as the system grows, if it's not already in place now.

The handheld readers would work great on the future E-fare on smartphones.

[Atlanta Scientist]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I think it's about $15 for me to Uber to the Midtown MARTA station, then I guess it's $5 for 2 trips MARTA fare if I'm heading to the airport and then back when I fly in. Then $15 to Uber back to the condo. So about $35 for the whole deal.

If the MARTA fare was free with transfer (or $2.50 off of the Uber fare in the other direction, which is the same thing), then that's like almost 15% off.

And the deal gets a lot better if you live closer to a station, and the Uber fare is normally $6. Then the whole round trip is $12 instead of $17. About 30% off.

It would increase ridership for both, so that would be their angle in it. Give a better deal, build more regular habit customers and then make more money in the end.

If the MARTA fare is free, then how it that benefiting MARTA?

[primaltech]

It would have to be worked out so that it's one MARTA trip for free with the transfer from Uber, and not the return $2.50 trip. You only get it once per day or something like that. So MARTA would get a lot more riders, paying half price, but still, a lot more riders.

Likewise, max once per day you get $2.50 off an Uber fare if you transfer from MARTA. The Uber trip to get to MARTA is normal fare.

[cqholt]

MARTA will pay Kapsch, a Virginia-based IT firm, $8.5 million to build and roll out a mobile payment system system-wide over the next few years.

You would use a mobile app to order and pay for tickets. Once onboard, trains and buses would have “electronic validator” machines to confirm payment.

For an approximately additional $2.9 million, other area transit systems could fully integrate with and use the same mobile ticketing system.

CobbLinc and the State Road & Tollway Authority (SRTA) buses said they expect the mobile ticketing system to be rolled out in 2018.

Goodbye Breeze Card? MARTA To Roll Out Mobile Ticketing System | WABE 90.1 FM

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Goodbye Breeze Card? MARTA To Roll Out Mobile Ticketing System | WABE 90.1 FM

Well, I wish they would make up their minds. First we have to go get new silver Breeze cards, and now they are talking about doing away with the whole thing and moving it to a smart phone.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, I wish they would make up their minds. First we have to go get new silver Breeze cards, and now they are talking about doing away with the whole thing and moving it to a smart phone.

There is nothing in the article saying that MARTA is dumping the Breeze system.

[PKCorey]

I hope, this new mobile payment allows NFC access via Google Wallet or Apple Pay.

ETA: Contract seems to say so

The MTS must accommodate customers with no credit cards by offering easy and accessible alternative
ways of payment like prepaid debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, PayPal and Contractor will
consider adding other digital wallets when they become available.

I would prefer just to pay via my phone but I guess, app it is.