San Francisco is prepping a pilot that will let riders on the Municipal Railway (Muni) purchase and use fares through a mobile app.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is tapping vendor GlobeSherpa's mobile ticketing platform for the pilot, which will take place in the summer.
Users will be able to store a debit or credit card or use PayPal to purchase tickets anytime and anywhere for single or multiple fares, and one-day, three-day, and seven-day passes. GlobeSherpa is also providing an enforcement application to verify mobile fares using a separate hand-held device.
SFMTA says that although the app will initially only be for Muni journeys, it is part of a "broader effort to evaluate smartphone mobile payment options for adjoining Bay Area transit operators that participate in the Clipper card program".
Ed Reiskin, director of transportation, SFMTA, says: "This mobile fare payment pilot program is part of our efforts to improve the customer’s experience on the Muni system. With this new app, riders will be able to buy tickets on their phones anywhere and anytime."