Report: OCTOBER 2021
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
Contactless Pilot Survey:
Customer Response to
Contactless Fares
DRAFT REPORTT
i
Executive Summary
In July, Big Blue Bus became the first transit agency in the United States to implement a 100% contactless fare payment system. This change minimizes interactions between passengers and motor coach operators to help prevent the spread of pathogens like COVID-19. It also improves on-time bus performance, and eliminates costs associated with collating and transporting cash fares to banks and repairing fare-boxes.
Between March and September at least 57% of Big Blue Bus (BBB) customers were asked to shift from cash to a contactless payment method. The majority of these customers adopted TAP cards to pay their fare, which coincides with the jump in TAP card usage from 36% to 73% between March and September. Overall, 79% of customers expressed a neutral response to the pilot; 7% expressed a positive impact; and, 14% had negative opinions of the contactless pilot. The majority of positive and negative comments came from customers who previously paid with cash. Positive comments revolved around speed, safety, and convenience; negative comments mentioned inconvenience seeking places to load fares, and confusion and concern about TAP card technology failing. This may explain why 73% of customers were interested in an option to load fares on a smartphone at the transit store.
Survey results showed BBB customers eligible for discounts for Interagency transfer, Seniors, and Youth have high levels of awareness (81%-86%); and 70% percent of disability eligible customers are aware of disability-based discounts. The discount area with the greatest opportunity to increase awareness is among LIFE eligible customers.
Currently, 27% of eligible customers are aware of LIFE, and 9% are receiving LIFE benefits. Ten percent of Seniors who previously received the $.50 senior fare discount did not transition to receive a senior discount on TAP. This may be explained by Seniors reluctant to provide personal information to register for the discount.
BBB may consider targeting LIFE eligible customers for outreach and education at TAP vending machines and TAP retail, given that 68% of LIFE eligible customers purchase fares at these locations. There is an opportunity to address some of the resistance Seniors experience in the discount application process to increase discount utilization.
Interagency discount awareness could be improved; however, it will be difficult to get an accurate picture of these customer’s needs until Metro resumes fare collection. BBB might consider testing marketing communication with focus groups to identify messages and communication modes that will resonate with target customers.
BBB Customer Readiness for Contactless Fares | Final Report Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................... i Introduction.............................................................................................................. 1 Methods ................................................................................................................... 1 BBB Routes Represented by Survey ...................................................................................... 2 Results ...................................................................................................................... 3 Section Description............................................................................................................3 Demographic Profile of BBB Customers ............................................................................4 Age of BBB Customers .......................................................................................................... 5 Race/Ethnicity of BBB Customers .......................................................................................... 6 Household Size ...................................................................................................................... 6 Household Income................................................................................................................. 7 Life Eligibility.......................................................................................................................... 7 Neighborhood of BBB Customers ......................................................................................... 8 Ridership and Payment Methods .......................................................................................9 Frequency of Riding BBB..................................................................................................... 10 Number of BBB Routes Used Weekly.................................................................................. 10 Fare Media........................................................................................................................... 11 Location to Purchase Fare Products .................................................................................... 12 Fares Category..................................................................................................................... 13 Transfers............................................................................................................................... 14 Discount Fare Awareness and Use..................................................................................15 TAP Discount Awareness ..................................................................................................... 16 Discount Fare Awareness..................................................................................................... 17 Senior Discount Usage......................................................................................................... 18 LIFE Eligibility and Use ........................................................................................................ 18 Customer Perceptions of Contactless Fare Pilot..............................................................19 Contactless Fare Implementation ........................................................................................ 20 Access to Make Contactless Payments ................................................................................ 20 Interest in Transit Store to Load Fare on Smartphone......................................................... 22 Negative & Positive Impact of Contactless Pilot.................................................................. 23 Qualitative Positive Impact of Contactless Pilot .................................................................. 24 Qualitative Negative Impact of Contactless Pilot................................................................ 25 Return to Cash ..................................................................................................................... 26 Would Use Cash for Future Trips ......................................................................................... 26 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 27 Appendix ................................................................................................................ 29 BBB – Contactless Pilot........................................................................................................ 30 BBB Customer Readiness for Contactless Fares | Final Report List of Figures
Figure 1: BBB Riders by Age (N=592)...............................................................................5 Figure 2: Race/Ethnicity of BBB Riders (N=592) ...............................................................6 Figure 3: Number of People in Household (N=591) ........................................................6 Figure 4: Household Income (N=385)...............................................................................7 Figure 5: Map of BBB Customers by Home Zip Code ......................................................8 Figure 6: Frequency of BBB Ridership (N=592) ..............................................................10 Figure 7: BBB Routes by Customers (N=592) .................................................................10 Figure 8: Fare Media – BBB Customers Surveyed September 2021 (N=592).................11 Figure 9: Fare Purchase Locations...................................................................................12 Figure 10: Fare Category by Total, Regular and Discount Fare Payers ..........................13 Figure 11: Frequency of Blue-to-Blue and Interagency Transfers (N=592)....................14 Figure 12: Aware of Cost Reduction with TAP by Pre-Pilot Fare Type ...........................16 Figure 13: Discount Fare Awareness ...............................................................................17 Figure 14: Senior Discount Usage Before and During Pilot (N=79) ................................18 Figure 15: LIFE Eligible BBB Customers (N=321) ...........................................................18 Figure 16: Pre-Pilot Fare Media (N=592) ........................................................................20 Figure 17: Customers with Smartphones and Credit Card: March – September............20 Figure 18: Transit Store to Load Fare on Smartphone by Pre-Contactless Fare Type....21 Figure 19: Transit Store to Load Fare on Smartphone by Pre-Contactless Fare Type....22 Figure 20: Negative & Positive Impact by Pre-Pilot Fare Type .......................................23 Figure 23: Should BBB Accept Cash Again? – by Pre-Pilot Fare Type (N=592) .............26 Figure 24: Would BBB Customers Use Cash Again? by Pre-Pilot Fare Type ..................26 List of Tables
Table 1: Routes Boarded per Week and BBB Ridership ...................................................2 Table 2: LIFE Eligibility Criteria .........................................................................................7 Table 3: Top 9 Home Zip Codes for BBB Customers .......................................................8 BBB Contactless Fares Survey | Introduction & Methods
1 Introduction
On July 12, 2021, Big Blue Bus transitioned to a 100% contactless fare payment system. The purpose of this shift is to save on operations costs, improve on-time performance, and increase the safety of passengers and motor coach operators from possible exposure to pathogens like COVID-19. Initial metrics for success included (1) convert 85% of customers to contactless fares prior to start of pilot, (2) raise awareness of available fare discounts to 90%, (3) raise participation in the LIFE program to 10%, (4) increase average bus speed by 1 mile per hour, (5) save approximately $93,000 annually on cash handling reimbursements, and (6) save approximately $274,000 annually in reduced farebox and cash handling equipment costs. This report addresses how customers have experienced the contactless pilot approximately 90 days after implementation. In addition, it identifies progress made towards metric 2 (discount awareness) and 3 (LIFE participation), and customer transit behavior.
Methods
Between September 9, 2021 and September 21, 2021, Maroon Society conducted 592 intercept surveys at BBB bus stops and on-board BBB buses. Surveys were administered to collect a representative sample of customer feedback from all 19 BBB routes by day type and time of day. This included conducting surveys between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM over a 13-day period. Surveyors wore personal protective gear and approached BBB customers using hand-held digital tablets to complete the survey. All surveyors were English-Spanish bilingual, and completed surveys in the preferred language of the customer.
BBB Contactless Fares Survey | Introduction & Methods
2 BBB Routes Represented by Survey
The following table lists routes boarded by survey participants each week compared to weekly BBB ridership. This table demonstrates the close alignment of customers surveyed and current BBB ridership. Routes boarded by survey participants are aligned with BBB ridership within 5 percentage points.1 This signifies how highly representative the survey results are of BBB customers.
Table 1: Routes Boarded per Week and BBB Ridership
Routes Boarded Ridership Alignment
BBB Route (N) (%) (%) Surveyed vs.
Ridership
1 - Santa Monica Blvd. 164 15.5% 16.6% -1.1%
2 - Wilshire Blvd. 70 6.6% 5.0% 1.6%
3 - Lincoln Blvd. 143 13.5% 13.8% -0.3%
Rapid 3 - Lincoln Blvd. 47 4.4% 4.3% 0.1%
5 - Olympic Blvd. 9 0.8% 0.8% 0.1%
7 - Pico Blvd. 175 16.5% 16.8% -0.3%
Rapid 7 - Pico Blvd. 76 7.2% 6.8% 0.3%
Express 7 - Pico Blvd. 23 2.2% 2.0% 0.2%
8 - Ocean Park 24 2.3% 5.2% -2.9%
9 - Pacific Palisades 136 12.8% 3.9% 8.9%
10 - Rapid Downtown LA 5 0.5% 0.3% 0.1%
Rapid 12 - Westwood Blvd. 37 3.5% 7.0% -3.5%
14 - Bundy Dr. Centinela 32 3.0% 6.8% -3.7%
15 - Barrington Ave. 4 0.4% 0.8% -0.5%
16 - Marina del Rey 8 0.8% 0.7% 0.0%
17 - UCLA - VA 21 2.0% 4.3% -2.3%
18 - Abbot Kinney 59 5.6% 3.3% 2.3%
41 - 17th St. - SMC 18 1.7% 0.9% 0.8%
43 - 26th St. 10 0.9% 0.8% 0.2%
Total 1,061 – – –
1 Route 9 –is overrepresented by 8.9%.
BBB Contactless Fares Survey | Results
3 Results
Section Description This section offers summary findings from the survey in four sections:
1. Demographic Profile of BBB Customers
2. Ridership and Payment Methods
3. Discount Fare Awareness and Use
4. Customer Perceptions of Contactless Fare Pilot
BBB | Results – Demographic Profile of Customers
4 Demographic Profile of
BBB Customers
BBB customers are linguistically diverse, range in age from youth to seniors, and live in different areas of Los Angeles County:
LANGUAGE – Thirty percent (30.4%) of customers preferred to conduct the survey in Spanish. Sixty-nine percent (69.6%) conducted the survey in English.2 Overall, 70.8% of survey respondents spoke English very well.
GENDER – BBB customers surveyed were female (60.8%),
38.9% male, and 0.3% non-binary.
AGE – The age of BBB customers continues to reflect an older cohort – 60% of customers are 35 years and older, whereas in 2017 half of customers were young than 35.
RACE/ETHNICITY – Hispanic/LatinX are the largest ethnic group (48%) of BBB customers, down from 60% in March.
This decline coincides with the return of White and Asian customers who now represent 27% and 10% of riders vs. 20% and 5%, respectively.
HOUSEHOLD INCOME – Over half (54.2%) of customers live in households that qualify for LIFE (Low Income Fare is Easy) based on household size and combined household income.
2 “Language” is based on the language in which the survey was completed. The default language was English. Surveys were conducted in Spanish when customers indicated a desire to participate in Spanish.
BBB | Results – Demographic Profile of Customers
5 Age of BBB Customers
In May 2017, 27% of Big Blue Bus customers were 18-24 years old. One and a half years after the onset of COVID-19, 15% of BBB customers are 18-24 years old. This percentage is up from March, where only 9% of customers were 18-24 years. It is anticipated that this age category will continue to increase as UCLA students adopt BBB transit. As Figure 1 displays, ridership among youth (16-17 years) is up from previous years. We suspect this resulted from the affordability of the 30-Day Youth pass, of which 80% of Youth use to pay their fare. BBB is achieving high levels of racial equity with this fare category, as 84% of users are Youth of Color.3 Figure 1: BBB Riders by Age
(N=592)
3 This includes LatinX (45.5%), African American (34.1%), and Asian (4.5%) 2%
27%
20%
15%
14%
9%
12%
1%
9%
19% 19%
21%
16% 15%
7%
15%
18%
20% 20%
6%
13%
16-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-61 62+
May 2017 March 2021 Sept. 2021
BBB | Results – Demographic Profile of Customers
6 Race/Ethnicity of BBB Customers
The majority of BBB customers (48%) identify as Hispanic/LatinX. Among Hispanic customers, 63% conducted the survey in Spanish (179/284). Figure 2 shows the shift in race/ethnicity of BBB customers that coincided with COVID-19 vaccinations, and easing of social distancing public health protocols. Between March and September, more White and Asian customers have either initiated or returned to BBB.
Figure 2: Race/Ethnicity of BBB Riders
(N=592)
Household Size
Nearly 1/4 of BBB customers live in a house with four or more people (24%). Figure 3 illustrates household size of BBB customers.
Figure 3: Number of People in Household
(N=591)
0%
10%
17%
27%
48%
2%
5%
17%
20%
60%
Native American
Asian
Black
White
Hispanic
March. 2021
Sept. 2021
24%
26% 27%
14%
7%
3%
One Two Three Four Five Six or More
BBB | Results – Demographic Profile of Customers
7 Household Income
Fifty-nine percent (59%) of BBB customers live in a household with a combined household income of less than $35,000.
Figure 4: Household Income
(N=385)
Life Eligibility
Survey results show that over half of customers (52%) are eligible for the LIFE program for free or reduced fares. This calculation was done based on three criteria: (1) participants answered affirmatively to the question about receiving a LIFE discounted fare, (2) they viewed the information found in Table 2 and indicated they qualified, and (3) participants answered questions about household size and household income and the research team determined if they qualified using the same table below.
Table 2: LIFE Eligibility Criteria
People in Household Household Income to Qualify
Live Alone (1) $41,400 or less
2 $47,300 or less
3 $53,200 or less
4 $59,100 or less
5 $63,850 or less
6 or more $68,600 or less
1%
2%
9%
29%
34%
25%
$100,000-or More
$75,000-$99,999
$50,000-$74,999
$35,000-$49,999
$25,000-$34,999
Less than $25,000
BBB | Results – Demographic Profile of Customers
8 Neighborhood of BBB Customers
BBB customers live in areas surrounding Metro’s Expo line. Figure 5 illustrates the zip codes where BBB customers live. Darker shaded areas represent larger concentrations of riders. Santa Monica, West Wood and Mid-Wilshire are the primary areas where BBB customers live. Table 3 lists the top 9 Zip codes where customers live.
Figure 5: Map of BBB Customers by Home Zip Code
Table 3: Top 9 Home Zip Codes for BBB Customers
Rank Neighborhood Zip Code Frequency (N) Percent (%)
1 Santa Monica 90405 28 4.7%
2 Westwood 90025 26 4.40%
3 Mid Wilshire 90019 23 3.90%
4 West Adams 90016 21 3.50%
5 Pico Union 90006 19 3.20%
6 Westwood 90024 19 3.20%
7 Mid-City/Pico 90035 17 2.90%
8 Korea Town 90005 16 2.70%
9 Santa Monica 90404 15 2.50%
BBB | Results – Ridership and Payment Methods
9 Ridership and Payment
Methods
This section details how customers travel on BBB, pre-Contactless Pilot and currently. This includes frequency of use and payment methods.
FREQUENCY – Fifty-six percent (56%) of customers ride BBB at least 4 days per week; and, half ride one route each week.
FARE MEDIA – Seventy-three percent (73%) pay their fare with TAP. This represents a 28% point increase in TAP over the past 5 months (73% vs. 45% in March). This increase in TAP is undoubtedly the result of previous cash users converting to TAP card.
FARE PURCHASE LOCATION – Forty-four percent (44%)
purchase fares at TAP vending machines, 28% purchase via the TAP app, 17% from retail locations and 14% from the BBB Transit Store.
FARE CATEGORY – Forty-eight percent (48%) pay with a single ride on TAP (45%) or single ride on mobile apps (3%).
TRANSFERS – Approximately ¼ of customers make transfers either Blue-to-Blue (23%) or Interagency (28%); and, most Interagency users (83%) claim to receive the discounted transfer rate.
BBB | Results – Ridership and Payment Methods
10 Frequency of Riding BBB
Fifty-six percent (55.9%) of customers ride BBB 4 days or more each week.
Figure 6: Frequency of BBB Ridership
(N=592)
Number of BBB Routes Used Weekly
Nearly half of BBB customers ride one route per week. Twenty percent (20%) ride three or more BBB routes per week. These are not only BBB customers taking parallel routes with similar origins and destinations; instead, 74% are making B-to-B transfers.
Figure 7: BBB Routes by Customers
(N=592)
8%
36%
49%
7%
Less than 1 day/week 1 to 3 days 4 to 5 days 6 days or more 48%
32%
15%
5%
One Route Two Routes Three Routes Four or More
BBB | Results – Ridership and Payment Methods
11 Fare Media
TAP card is the most heavily used fare media, followed by TAP App and Smartphone app. Half of a percent of survey respondents said they do not usually pay. This is less than the 4% of riders who do not pay, according to driver reported data. We account for this discrepancy based on possible embarrassment of customers not wanting to be truthful about not paying, or the likelihood that people unwilling to pay their fare may be unlikely to participate in a survey about transit.
Figure 8: Fare Media – BBB Customers Surveyed September 2021 (N=592)
0.5%
7.3%
19.3%
73.0%
I don't usually pay
Smartphone App
TAP App
TAP Card
BBB | Results – Ridership and Payment Methods
12 Location to Purchase Fare Products
TAP vending machines are the primary location for purchasing fares. Forty-four percent (44%) of customers report they typically buy their fares at a Metro vending machine; and, an almost equal amount (42%) report purchasing fares online via the TAP app, Smartphone App, or TAP website. Fourteen percent (14%) purchase their fare at the BBB Transit Store, indicating the continued desire for human interaction during the fare purchase process.
Figure 9: Fare Purchase Locations
44%
28%
17%
14%
7% 6% 6% 5%
2%
TAP
Vending
Machine
TAP
App
TAP
Retail
Location
BBB
Transit
Store
Smart
-phone
App
TAP
Website
Employer/
School
Access/
Social
Service
TAP
Call
Center
BBB | Results – Ridership and Payment Methods
13 0%
0.3%
1%
1%
1%
2%
2%
2%
3%
3%
3%
6%
8%
8%
19%
45%
BBB Annual Pass
Employer-provided pass
TAP Interagency Transfer
TAP-UCLA BruinGo! Quarterly
TAP E-Pass
SMC Pass
TAP U-Pass
TAP UCLA Co-pay Pass
13-Rides Pass
EZ Pass
Single Ride - Mobile Phone
1-Day Pass
Access TAP Card
7-Day Pass
30-Day Pass
TAP Single Ride
Fares Category
Ninety-eight percent (98%) of BBB customers regularly use only 1 form of fare payment. Nearly half pay for 1-Ride at a time (45% with TAP, 3% with Mobile App), and over one third (35%) use passes, ranging from 1-day to 30 days.4 There is an additional 19% who pay their fare with a supplement based on their status as students, lower income, disabled or seniors.
Figure 10: Fare Category by Total, Regular and Discount Fare Payers 4 The 30-day pass may be overrepresented given that free 30-day passes were distributed proximate to the survey period.
BBB | Results – Ridership and Payment Methods
14 Transfers
Twenty-three percent (23%) of customers Usually or Always transfer within Big Blue Bus, and 28% transfer interagency. Eighty-three percent (83%, 137/160) of those who Usually or Always make interagency transfers report receiving the discounted fare with stored value. Seventeen percent (17.5%) of interagency transferors report not receiving the discount because they pay with a pass (50%), they are not aware of the discount (32%), or because Metro is not presently charging (18%).
Figure 11: Frequency of Blue-to-Blue and Interagency Transfers (N=592)
38%
16%
24%
15%
8%
34%
17%
23%
18%
10%
Never Rarely Sometimes Usually Always
Blue-to-Blue Interagency
BBB | Results – Discount Fare Awareness
15 Discount Fare Awareness
and Use
This section details customer awareness of discounted fares and their eligibility and use of LIFE.
TAP DISCOUNT – Seventy-eight percent (78%) of BBB customers claim they are aware of the discounted fare offered using TAP.
However, future surveys may ask customers how much a fare costs with TAP to confirm un-aided awareness.
DISCOUNT FARE AWARENESS – Awareness of discount fares is high (81%-86%) among Youth, Seniors, and Interagency
customers. Disabled BBB customers have high awareness at 70%; and, LIFE awareness is lower at 27%.
LIFE ELIGIBILITY AND USE – Over half of BBB customers (52%) are eligible for LIFE. Nine percent (9%) of eligible customers receive LIFE, and 19% who are aware and eligible do not receive LIFE.
BBB | Results – Discount Fare Awareness
16 TAP Discount Awareness
Seventy-eight percent (78%) of BBB customers state they are aware of a discounted fare with TAP. Among BBB customers who used TAP card or TAP app prior to the contactless pilot, awareness is slightly higher at 81% and 87%, respectively. The largest discount awareness gap is among customers who previously paid their fare with cash. Former cash only fare users have 64% awareness compared to 78% of total, and 81% of previously used contactless fares.
Figure 12: Aware of Cost Reduction with TAP by Pre-Pilot Fare Type 78%
23%
81%
19%
64%
37%
Aware Not Aware
Total
(N=592)
Contactless Only
(n=466)
Cash Only
(n=115)
BBB | Results – Discount Fare Awareness
17 Discount Fare Awareness
BBB set a goal to achieve 90% customer awareness of fare discounts. Figure 13 shows Seniors and Youth nearly achieve this mark with 86% awareness. Interagency Transfer customers have a 9% awareness gap to achieve the 90% goal5; and, Disabled customers may have a 20% awareness gap.6 LIFE eligible customers have 63- percentage point awareness gap to overcome in order to achieve the goal. This is discussed further on the following page.
Figure 13: Discount Fare Awareness
5 Interagency Transfer awareness is a calculation of customers to transfer interagency sometimes, usually or always; and, when they transfer, they pay with a TAP card or App to receive the discount. Among interagency transfer customers who did not pay to receive the discount, 34% (19/56) were not aware. 6 A direct question about awareness of disabled customers was not asked. This 70% awareness for Disabled customers contains a numerator calculated from customers who say they received a discount for being disabled or believe they would be eligible for a disability based discount, and a denominator calculated from customers who pay with Access TAP, say they received a discount for being disabled or believe they would be eligible for a disability based discount. 86% 86% 81%
70%
27%
Senior
(N=79)
Youth
(N=44)
Interagency
Transfer
(N=293)
Disabled
(N=56)
LIFE
(N=321)
BBB | Results – Discount Fare Awareness
18 Senior Discount Usage
Ninety percent (90%) of Seniors used the $.50 co-pay discount prior to the pilot. As of the pilot, 80% of Seniors receive the contactless based Senior discount. Anecdotal evidence points to an application process that discourages Seniors from receiving the discount, primarily because it asks information they do not want to share.
Figure 14: Senior Discount Usage Before and During Pilot (N=79)
LIFE Eligibility and Use
Over half of BBB customers (52%) are eligible for free or low fares through LIFE; and, among the eligible, 27% are aware of their eligibility. Figure 15 shows 9% percent of LIFE eligible BBB customers say they receive LIFE. Eighteen percent (18%) of LIFE eligible customers who do not receive LIFE, report awareness of the program. Among these non-users, 38% claim to receive another type of fare discount (senior, disabled, youth, or other low income). This suggests the proportion of LIFE Aware customers who do not receive a fare discount is 11% of all LIFE eligible customers, helping explain why 7% of these customers are not enrolling in LIFE. However, the data do not allows us to understand why the remainder of eligible and aware customers chooses not to claim this discount.
Figure 15: LIFE Eligible BBB Customers
(N=321)
90%
80%
Senior $.50 Co-Pay Receive Senior Discount Now
9%
18%
Receiving LIFE Aware & Not Receiving LIFE
BBB | Results – Customer Perceptions of Contactless Fare Pilot 19 Customer Perceptions
of Contactless Fare Pilot
IMPLEMENTATION – Almost 80% of customers surveyed
already used a contactless payment method. The remaining 21% paid with cash (19%) or paper pass (2%)
CONTACTLESS FARE ACCESS – Customers with data-ready
smartphones and credit cards may have the greatest ease with loading fares on their selected fare media. These
customers are more likely to load fares on TAP app and
Smartphone Apps than customers without both a data-ready smartphone and credit card. Conversely, customers without both a data-ready smartphone and credit card are more likely to purchase their fares at a TAP vending machine.
TRANSIT STORE USE – Forty-four percent (44%) purchase fares at TAP vending machines, 28% purchase via the TAP app,
17% from retail locations and 14% from the BBB Transit Store.
POSITIVE/NEGATIVE IMPACT – Eighty-five percent (85%) of customers reported no impact from the pilot. However, those who previously paid with cash reported the greatest positive and negative consequences from the pilot.
RETURN TO CASH – Nearly 2 out of 3 customers (64%)
surveyed say BBB should accept cash fares again. However, only 35% would pay with cash for “some or most” trips if BBB accepts cash fares again.
BBB | Results – Customer Perceptions of Contactless Fare Pilot 20 Contactless Fare Implementation
Nearly 80% of all BBB customers surveyed used some form of contactless fare prior to implementation of the contactless pilot. Nineteen percent (19%) of customers surveyed paid exclusively with cash, and 2% paid with a paper pass.
Figure 16: Pre-Pilot Fare Media
(N=592)
Access to Make Contactless Payments
The research team hypothesized that access to both a data-ready smartphone and credit card make the purchase of contactless fares easier. Figure 17 shows BBB customers surveyed in September are more likely to have both a data-ready smartphone and credit card than customers surveyed in March.
Figure 17: Customers with Smartphones and Credit Card: March – September Contactless,
79%
Cash Only,
19%
Paper Pass,
2%
1%
3%
79%
63%
September
2021
(N=592)
March
2021
(N=550)
Smartphone
& Credit
No
Smartphone
& No Credit
BBB | Results – Customer Perceptions of Contactless Fare Pilot 21 The survey data shows over half (57%) of customers without both a data-ready smartphone and credit card are more likely to purchase their fares at TAP vending machines than customers with a data-ready smartphone and credit card. Conversely, BBB customers with both a smartphone and credit card are more likely than their counterparts to purchase fares on TAP App, Smartphone Apps and TAP retail.
Figure 18: Transit Store to Load Fare on Smartphone by Pre-Contactless Fare Type 1%
10%
10%
3%
3%
11%
9%
19%
57%
2%
3%
6%
7%
9%
13%
17%
33%
40%
TAP Call Center
Access or Social Services
Employer/School
TAP Website
Smartphone App
BBB Transit Store
TAP Retail
TAP App
TAP Vending Machine
Smartphone &
Credit Card
Not Smartphone &
Credit Card
BBB | Results – Customer Perceptions of Contactless Fare Pilot 22 Interest in Transit Store to Load Fare on Smartphone In addition to the variety of measures taken to ease the transition to contactless payments, this survey explored the possibility of an option to load fares on a smartphone from the BBB Transit Store. Customer interest in using the transit store is consistent across fare payment types. Overall, 73% showed interest going to the BBB transit store to load fare on a smartphone. This interest may be driven by a common concern that the TAP cards would not work properly.
“[TAP] cards don't always work and vending machines sometimes don't allow me to load fare.” (BBB customer)
Figure 19: Transit Store to Load Fare on Smartphone by Pre-Contactless Fare Type 73%
27%
72%
28%
73%
27%
Interest No Interest
Total
(N=592)
Contactless Only
(n=466)
Cash Only
(n=115)
BBB | Results – Customer Perceptions of Contactless Fare Pilot 23 Negative & Positive Impact of Contactless Pilot
Most customers (79%, n=468) reported neither a positive nor negative impact from implementation of contactless fares. However, 85% (394/466) of these individuals used contactless prior to implementation. Customers who only used Cash prior to implementation, are much more likely to report either a negative or positive impact from the contactless fare program. Thirty one percent (31%) of previous cash only customers reported a negative impact; and, 10% reported a positive impact.
Conversely, almost all customers (84%) who made contactless payments before the pilot reported no impact.
Figure 20: Negative & Positive Impact by Pre-Pilot Fare Type 5%
9%
79%
2% 4% 3% 7%
85%
3% 3%
13%
18%
58%
6% 4%
Negatively Somewhat
Negatively
Neither
Negative or
Positive
Somewhat
Positively
Positively
Total
(N=592)
Contactless Only
(n=466)
Cash Only
(n=115)
BBB | Results – Customer Perceptions of Contactless Fare Pilot 24 Qualitative Positive Impact of Contactless Pilot
Customers who expressed a positive or negative experience with the contactless pilot program were asked to share their thoughts. Customers indicated that contactless payments are convenient, faster, better for the community, and safer.
Positive Themes
• It’s convenient
• It’s faster
• It’s better for the community
• It’s safer
Customer Quotes
“Cashless is better”
“It’s more convenient to use TAP.”
“I like that I don’t have to take out cash.”
“It's a little confusing but its better for the
community.”
“It’s faster to TAP and Go.”
“No use of cash is better for the pandemic.”
“It's healthier for the community.”
Figure 21: Positive Opinions of the Contactless Pilot
BBB | Results – Customer Perceptions of Contactless Fare Pilot 25 Qualitative Negative Impact of Contactless Pilot
Negative aspects of the program included difficulty finding a place to load fares, concerns about loading fares, cost of fares, especially compared to free fares on Metro, challenges to checking stored value on TAP, and capacity to pay (i.e., what happens if the technology fails, or customer fails to load TAP). The primary request from those negatively impacted is to bring back cash as an option.
Negative Themes
• It’s generally inconvenient
• Accessing locations to load TAP is a challenge
• Uncertainty checking value on TAP
• Concern paying fare when TAP doesn’t work
• Concern about paying when fare isn’t loaded
Customer Quotes
“I don't want to have to go to the TAP machine to
ride the bus”
“Finding a TAP vending machine is inconvenient.”
“I think I have to pay more now.”
“I'm not paying on Metro buses.”
“If TAP runs out, I can't pay the fare.”
“It’s too confusing.”
“It’s difficult when there's no money on the card,
and no way to check if I have credit.”
“Sometimes the TAP card doesn’t work.”
Figure 22: Negative Opinions of the Contactless Pilot
BBB | Results – Customer Perceptions of Contactless Fare Pilot 26 Return to Cash
Sixty-four percent of customers say BBB should accept cash again. Customers who previously used a contactless payment method are more likely to say, No, meaning BBB should not accept cash again. Conversely, those who previously with cash only are more likely to say, “Yes,” BBB should accept cash again.
Figure 23: Should BBB Accept Cash Again? – by Pre-Pilot Fare Type (N=592)
Would Use Cash for Future Trips
Sixty-four percent (64%) of customers would not use cash if BBB accepted it again. The majority of these people (72%) had already used some form of contactless payment media prior to implementation. Sixty-five percent (65%) of customers who exclusively used cash before the pilot say they would use cash again for most trips (23%) and some trips (42%).
Figure 24: Would BBB Customers Use Cash Again? by Pre-Pilot Fare Type 10%
12%
77%
12%
26%
62%
12%
24%
64%
Don't Know
No
Yes
Total
Contactless Only
Cash Only
64%
27%
8%
72%
23%
4%
36% 42%
23%
No Trips Some Trips Most Trips
Total
(N=592)
Contactless Only
(n=466)
Cash Only
(n=115)
BBB | Conclusion
27 Conclusion
Big Blue Bus recently became the first transit agency in the United States to implement a 100% contactless fare payment system. The benefits of this change can already be found in faster trips, and cost savings. Other benefits, equally important but, more difficult to measure, include the reduced risk of transmissible illnesses in cash handling and lingering near fareboxes.
In March 2021, BBB analyzed the potential for disproportionally negative outcomes experienced by customers protect by Title VI. All impacts experienced by low-income and racial minority customers were below the federal threshold used to define a negative impact. The most recent survey shows the majority of lower-income customers previously paid their fare with cash. Although we cannot indicate how many cash paying customers remained or left the system, 30% of customers surveyed previously paid with cash; and, these individuals now pay with TAP.
Most customers (79%) in the current survey reported a neutral response to the contactless fare pilot; 7% had a positive impact; and, 14% expressed negative opinions of the pilot. As would be expected, most of the negative comments came from customers who previously paid with cash. However, customers who previously paid with cash also had the most positive things to say about the pilot. Negative experiences included: difficulty finding places to load fares, confusion about loading fares on TAP, and fear that TAP cards would not working property. Positive comments highlighted convenience, speed, and community safety.
BBB has done a good job making customers aware of available discounts. Seniors, Youth, and Interagency customers have the highest levels of awareness at 86% and 81%, respectively. Despite high awareness among Seniors, ten percent of Seniors who received a Senior discount with the $.50 co-payment before the pilot did not transition to receive a senior discount on TAP. Anecdotal evidence suggests this is because some Seniors are resistant to divulging personal information required in the application. Disability eligible customers have 70% awareness of their discounted fare.
BBB | Conclusion
28 LIFE eligible customers, however, present the greatest opportunity for education.
Twenty-seven percent of LIFE eligible customers are aware of LIFE, and 9% are receiving LIFE benefits.
BBB should consider targeting LIFE eligible customers for outreach and education at TAP vending machines and TAP retail locations, where 68% of these customers purchase fares. There is an opportunity to address some of the barriers Seniors experience in the discount application process to promote discount use. This mayu include reducing some of the information required, or reassuring them that their personal information will not be shared with out government agencies. Interagency discount awareness has room to improve; yet, an accurate profile of the needs will not be possible until Metro resumes collecting fares. BBB may benefit by testing marketing communication with focus groups to identify what messages and distribution methods resonate best with target Big Blue Bus customers.
BBB | Appendix
29 Appendix
BBB Fare Use Survey – Fall 2021
30 BBB – Contactless Pilot
1. Are you at least 14 years old?
a. Yes
b. No (terminate survey)
2. How many days a week do you ride on BBB buses?
a. Don’t Ride! Terminate
b. Occasionally (less than 1 day per week)
c. 1 to 3 days
d. 4 or 5 days
e. 6 or more days
3. BBB route you ride on a weekly basis (select all that apply):
a. 1 Santa Monica Blvd.
b. 2 Wilshire Blvd.
c. 3 Lincoln Blvd.
d. Rapid 3 Lincoln Blvd.
e. 5 Olympic Blvd.
f. 7 Pico Blvd.
g. Rapid 7 Pico Blvd.
h. Express 7 Pico Blvd.
i. 8 Ocean Park
j. 9 Palisades
k. Rapid 10 Downtown Express
l. Rapid 12 Westwood Blvd.
m. 14 Bundy Dr. – Centinela
Ave.
n. 15 Barrington Ave.
o. 16 Marina del Rey
p. 17 UCLA - VA
q. 18 Abbott Kinney
r. 41 17th St.
s. 43 26th St.
t. 44 SMC Bundy Campus
FARE PURCHASE AND PAYMENT METHODS
4. Before BBB stopped accepting cash and tokens (July 12th, 2021), How did you normally pay for your BBB fare ? (RANK TOP 2)
a. Paid cash on the bus
b. TAP card (Regular, Reduced Fare, ACCESS, UCLA or SMC TAP cards) c. TAP App on a mobile device (smartphone or Apple Watch) d. Smartphone App (Transit app, Token Transit app)
e. Paper pass Bought on the bus
f. Paper Pass Bought at the BBB Transit Store
g. BBB employee/retiree/dependent pass
5. Now, How do you usually pay for your BBB fare?
a. TAP card (Regular, Reduced Fare, ACCESS, UCLA or SMC TAP cards) b. TAP app on a mobile device (smartphone or Apple Watch) c. Smartphone app (Transit app, Token Transit app)
d. I usually don’t pay
BBB Fare Use Survey – Fall 2021
31 ONLY ASK Q6. IF “DON’T PAY” AT Q.5
6. Why don’t you usually pay the fare on BBB? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY) a. I don’t have a TAP card
b. I don’t have a smartphone
c. I don’t have a credit card
d. Because I can ride without paying
e. Other
7. Where do you typically obtain your BBB fare products? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)
a. TAP - Ticket Vending Machine
b. TAP - Website or call center
c. TAP - Retail location (Ralph’s, 7-11, CVS, Walgreens, Check Cashing, etc.)
d. BBB Transit Store
e. Smartphone app (Token Transit app, Transit app)
f. TAP app on a mobile device (smartphone or Apple Watch) g. My pass is provided by my employer or school
h. My pass is provided by Access or another social service agency
8. Which BBB fare(s) do you normally choose now? (SELECT 1 OR 2) a. TAP (stored value) single ride
b. TAP UCLA BruinGo! quarterly pass
c. TAP UCLA Co-pay Pass
d. TAP E-Pass
e. TAP U-Pass
f. TAP Interagency Transfer
g. Access TAP Card
h. Single ride on mobile phone
i. 1 Day Pass
j. 7-Day Pass
k. 30-Day Pass
l. 13 Rides Pass
m. Youth 30-Day Pass
n. BBB Annual Pass
o. EZ Pass
p. Employer-provided pass
q. Santa Monica College pass
32 TRANSFER TRIPS WITHIN BBB AND TO/FROM BBB
9. Thinking about 1-way trips on the Big Blue Bus, How often do you transfer from Big Blue Bus to another Big Blue Bus (Blue to Blue)?
a. Never
b. Rarely
c. Sometimes
d. Usually
e. Always
10.Thinking about 1-way trips on the Big Blue Bus, How often do you transfer to or from Big Blue Bus to another bus or rail systems (Blue to/from Orange LA Metro Bus, Green Culver CityBus, etc.)]?
a. Never !SKIP TO Q.13
b. Rarely
c. Sometimes
d. Usually
e. Always
11.When you transfer to other transit providers (not BBB), Do you use TAP Stored Value to purchase the discounted $0.50 Regular or $0.25 Senior/Disabled Interagency Transfer?
a. Yes !SKIP TO Q.13
b. No
12.What is the main reason you don’t use TAP Stored Value to pay for your transfer?
a. Not aware of the transfer discount
b. I pay with a pass or passes on BBB and other transit agencies c. Because Metro isn’t charging a fare currently
d. Because I don’t use TAP to pay my fare
13.Are you aware that single rides cost less when using TAP or a mobile ticket than they did when using cash?
a. Yes
b. No
33 CONTACTLESS FARE PERCEPTIONS
14.How has the contactless fare program (no cash use on board) affected you? c. Negatively
d. Somewhat negatively
e. Neither negative nor Positive !SKIP TO Q.16
f. Somewhat positively
g. Positively
15.Please describe any positive or negative impacts you have experienced as a result of the contactless fare program [open ended]:
________________________________________
16.The goal of contactless payments on buses is to move buses faster, make fare payment more sanitary, and reduce the fare price for each ride. Understanding these goals, should BBB return to accepting cash fare payments? a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t know
17.If BBB goes back to accepting cash, will you start using cash again? a. Yes, for most trips
b. Yes, for some trips
c. No
ONLY ASK Q18. IF “SOMEWHAT NEGATIVELY” OR “NEGATIVELY” AT Q.14
18.What can BBB do to improve the contactless fare program? [open ended]:
___________________________________________________________
SMARTPHONE AND CREDIT ACCESS
19.Do you have a smartphone?
a. Yes
b. No !SKIP TO Q.22
20.Does your phone have a data plan?
a. Yes !SKIP TO Q.22
b. No
34 21.Do you access the Internet on your phone using Wi-Fi? a. Yes
b. No
22.Do you have a credit, debit, or pre-paid card to make purchases? a. Yes
b. No
ONLY ASK Q23 IF “YES” AT Q.20
23.Would you be interested in using mobile ticketing (smartphone app) if you could load value to your phone at the BBB Transit Store using cash? a. Yes
b. No
REDUCED FARE OPTIONS
24.Are you aware that there are reduced fares available for seniors (62+), people with Disabilities, Medicare recipients, and/or youth?
a. Yes
b. No !SKIP TO Q.26
25.Which of the reduced fares are you receiving, IF ANY? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)
a. Senior (62+)
b. Disabled/Medicare recipient
c. Youth (5-18 years of age)
d. Low-Income (LIFE)
e. Not Receiving a discount
f. I don’t know
ONLY ASK Q26. IF “NO” AT Q.24 OR “NOT RECEIVING” OR “DON’T KNOW” AT Q.25
26.What reduced fares might you qualify for? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY) a. Senior (62+)
b. Disabled/Medicare recipient
c. Youth (5-18 years of age)
d. Low-Income (LIFE)
e. None of the above
f. I don’t know
35 ASK Q27. IF “RECEIVING SENIOR, DISABLED OR LOW INCOME DISCOUNT” AT Q.25 OR “QUALIFIED TO RECEIVE SENIOR, DISABLED OR LOW INCOME DISCOUNT” AT Q.26
27.Before BBB stopped accepting cash and tokens, did you receive the senior or disabled/Medicare reduced fare by paying $0.50 with cash? a. Yes
b. No
LIFE PROGRAM
28.Are you aware of the free or reduced fare available for low-income riders through the LIFE program?
a. Yes
b. No !SKIP TO Q.30
29.Are you currently receiving the LIFE program reduced fare? a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t know
30.Are you eligible for reduced fares based on household income? (SEE ELIGIBILITY GRID)
a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t know
People in Household Combined Income to
Qualify
Live Alone (1) $41,400 or less
2 $47,300 or less
3 $53,200 or less
4 $59,100 or less
5 $63,850 or less
6 or more $68,600 or less
36 DEMOGRAPHICS
31.What is your gender?
a. Male
b. Female
c. Non-binary
32.In which age category do you belong?
a. 14-17
b. 18 to 24
c. 25-34
d. 35-44
e. 45-54
f. 55-61
g. 62 and Older
33.Select the group(s) that best describe you. (select all that apply) a. Hispanic/Latino/Latinx
b. White
c. Black/African-American
d. Asian/Pacific Islander
e. Native American
f. Other: ____________________
34.How many people currently reside in your household? _____________
35.What is your annual household income?
a. Less than $25,000
b. $25,000 – $34,999
c. $35,000 – $49,999
d. $50,000 – $74,999
e. 75,000 – $99,999
f. More than $100,000
g. decline
36.How proficient are you in English?
a. I speak little to no English
b. I speak some English
c. I speak English very well
37.What is your home zip code? __________________