NEORide, a council of governments comprised of 15 transit systems dedicated to the development and promotion of regional public transportation services, with Uber, and Masabi, the company bringing Fare Payments-as-a-Service to public transit, are today rolling out Uber Transit Ticketing, which will enable riders across Ohio and Kentucky to seamlessly buy tickets and ride with 13 local transit agencies – all from within the Uber app
This feature provides more flexibility by facilitating access to a mobile ticketing option on the Uber app. With safety, health, and mobility an ongoing focus through Ohio and Kentucky, NEORide, Uber, and Masabi teamed up so riders can have added peace of mind when they come aboard.
The 13 participating agencies that will have fares available in Uber, or will be added once fare collection resumes are:
- Laketran (Lake County), Lancaster-Fairfield Transit
- MCPT (Medina County), METRO RTA (Summit County)
- PARTA (Portage County), Sandusky Transit (Erie County)
- SARTA (Stark County), TARTA (Lucas County),
- WRTA (Mahoning County), BCRTA (Butler County)
- SORTA (Hamilton County), TANK (Northern Kentucky)
- Cincinnati Bell Connector (Cincinnati Streetcar)
After a rider enters a destination in the Uber app they will see “Transit” as a transportation option. Upon selecting “Transit,” riders will get all the Journey Planning information they need to get to their destination using public transportation including real-time transit data, trip-planning and end-to-end directions.
Buying your transit ticket in the Uber app is also easy – once a rider has selected their route, they can choose to purchase and redeem them using their existing payment profile. Tickets use visual and barcode validation, so entry onto a transit ride can remain touch-free. Once purchased, tickets are stored in the “Transit Tickets” section of the Uber app. Users activate tickets when boarding the bus and can do so even when they are offline (i.e. no cellular connectivity). They then either show the passes to the driver, or scan them using the onboard validation devices.
Transit tickets purchased via Uber will cost the same amount as through existing options, and in combination with Journey Planning, allow you to plan, pay, and navigate all in one app–helping avoid long wait times and lost tickets. Transit ticketing has been enabled using Masabi’s Justride SDK, the first mobile ticketing software development kit (SDK) for public transportation, creating a seamless passenger experience combining public transit and shared mobility services.
Both Journey Planning and Uber Transit Ticketing are rolling out today and will be available to 100% of riders in the 13 local transit agencies over the next few weeks.
When asked about the integration with Uber, Ben Capelle, Board President of NEORide and CEO of Laketran stated, “With a public transit option now appearing in the Uber app, I hope people who wouldn’t regularly consider transit will realize how easy and affordable it can be.”
“The partnership with Uber makes transit a more visible and accessible option by highlighting regional transit systems that Uber users may not know exist,” shared Capelle. “We are pleased to continue expanding transit purchasing options for our NEORide partner agencies and their transit customers.”
“We are excited to expand our collaboration with NEORide and Masabi to plan, pay for, and navigate public transportation in Ohio and Kentucky all within the Uber app,” said David Reich, Head of Uber Transit. “As cities look for expanded ways to facilitate mobility during these times, this partnership is Uber’s latest step in helping to make transit more accessible so everyday needs like groceries, checkups, and pharmacy visits are more within reach.”
“Following the successful launch of EZfare in 2019, we are delighted to see this groundbreaking regional project expand with Uber, who we have partnered with in similar projects around the world,” said Brian Zanghi, CEO at Masabi. “Masabi’s Justride SDK is at the cutting edge of extending the discoverability and accessibility of public transit tickets within leading mobility applications and our work with NEORide shows how this model can be deployed successfully on a regional multi-agency basis. We are excited to continue supporting the development of EZfare to make journeys quicker and easier for transit riders across Ohio and Kentucky.”
