ANN ARBOR, MI – The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) announced today that it has launched EZfare, a contactless mobile ticketing app that will make riding public transit safer and more convenient than ever before. Mobile ticketing is an important component in helping make transit as safe as possible by removing the need to physically exchange currency, tickets or passes.
TheRide has joined 13 other transit agencies across Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky that already sell their fares on the EZfare regional fare payment system, which is powered by Fare Payments-as-a-Service provider, Masabi. All are members of NEORide, a council of governments comprising 16 transit systems dedicated to the development and promotion of regional public transportation services. With the addition of TheRide, EZfare is now a tri-state mobile ticketing platform and the largest in the country.
Available as a free download from both the App Store and Google Play, EZfare enables customers to purchase fares anytime, anywhere and travel to their destination with just a few taps of their smartphone. Within the app, the rider can purchase the ticket, activate it from their Ticket Wallet, and then when boarding, show their phone screen with their active ticket to the driver. Full how-to details are available at www.theride.org/fares-passes/mobile-ticketing. In addition, the EZfare app is integrated with the free to download Transit, Uber and Moovit apps for payment through those platforms.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our agency, we’re pleased to be able to introduce a contactless method of payment for riders,” said John Metzinger, Deputy CEO, Finance and Administration. “This pilot project will help reduce the risk of virus transmission from our system, while also allowing TheRide to test community reactions and the potential for a permanent mobile ticket option in the future.”
“We’re excited to be expanding EZfare to a tri-state region with the addition of TheRide,” shared NEORide president and Laketran CEO Ben Capelle. “One of the goals of NEORide is to make public transportation more efficient and easier to use through coordination. By adding more transit systems to the EZfare platform, we are making this payment technology more affordable and accessible to both the agencies and transit users.”
“Masabi’s cutting edge Fare-Payments-as-a-Service approach to mobile ticketing is the bedrock upon which EZfare has been built, providing a quick, safe and cost-efficient route to modernization and inter-agency co-operation that has been easily implemented,” said Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi. “We have been excited with the response of riders across NEORide agencies so far, and are thrilled to expand to TheRide, allowing travelers to realize the benefits of cashless technology via a single solution.”