As MARTA advances its transformation initiative to fundamentally improve the way we do business, we are listening closely to those urging us to overhaul our fare structure, most notably to implement variable-based fares.
We appreciate their suggestions and want to provide information about some important developments that are already underway.
By far, MARTA is the largest provider of bus, train and para-transit services in metro Atlanta, logging about 140 million passenger trips in 2011. But we’re hardly alone.
Linked by MARTA’s Breeze card fare collection system, Cobb Community Transit, Gwinnett County Transit and GRTA’s Xpress buses also offer convenient and affordable transportation options to millions of customers across the region each year.
Moreover, we expect that non-Breeze bus services in Cherokee, Coweta and Henry counties – along with local shuttles and exciting new projects such as the Atlanta Streetcar and Atlanta Beltline – will become part of a seamlessly integrated transit network in the not-so-distant future.
As metro Atlanta continues to grow, MARTA’s relationships with our neighboring transit agencies are likely to become increasingly collaborative and interdependent.
MARTA, which launched Breeze in 2005, also recognizes that any plan to expand transit accessibility and connectivity must include a fare collection system that’s equitable for all.
Fortunately, a joint effort being spearheaded by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is expected to bring MARTA and the region’s transit systems much closer to achieving that long-term goal.
Late last year, the ARC commissioned a private-sector firm to conduct a Regional Multi-Modal Public Transit Automated Fare Collection Study. Simply put, the study will help regional transit providers and policymakers answer these key questions:
• How does metro Atlanta ensure existing fare collection operates at maximum efficiency?
• How does metro Atlanta transition to the next generation of fare collection?
• What are the Atlanta region’s goals for the “next generation” of fare collection, and what will that look like?
Long before the ARC study was commissioned, MARTA conducted its own comprehensive assessment to determine whether we should transition from our current “flat” fare structure ($2.50 for most single-passenger trips) to a variable fare based, for example, on how far or the time of day customers are traveling.
Distance-based fare collection systems have obvious merits, such as a more equitable fee for the amount of service used. Still, there is considerable debate about whether those systems generate more revenue, are simpler to operate or easier for customers to negotiate.
For the record, five of the seven major transit systems built in the U.S. after World War II, including MARTA, employ flat-fare systems. (The exceptions are BART in San Francisco and Metro in Washington, D.C.)
As we make the decisions about the fare collection model for our future, we realize the current Breeze system is getting close to the end of its useful life. Estimates indicate that updating Breeze for distance-based travel would cost tens of millions of dollars, funds unlikely to be completely recouped in increased fare revenue.
Also, given the rising popularity of digital payment systems — some using cell phones and other mobile devices — it’s imperative that MARTA and other transit agencies remain mindful that today’s cutting-edge technology can quickly become obsolete.
The focus of the ARC-led study is to survey the relative strengths and weaknesses of fare collection systems nationally to identify promising technologies and recommend the best practices for the specific needs of our region.
Since the study recommendations are due by the end of the year, plans to unilaterally alter MARTA’s fare collection system would be premature.
The advent of the fully automated Breeze card fare system eight years ago established MARTA as an industry pioneer, the first to deploy smart-card technology. MARTA is still committed to working closely with all stakeholders to develop a forward-looking fare system that delivers a solid return on investment and serves our customers, no matter where they come from or where they’re going.
