Electronic Fare Media including Distribution and Payment Systems

SRBI was instrumental in the developmental stages of the MTA's electronic fare card program (MetroCard), and the firm continues to monitor the adoption of MetroCard. The recently concluded Comprehensive MetroCard Customer Awareness, Attitudes, and Usage Study explored in-system and out-of-system purchase behavior in detail. This study was comprised of 1,200 New York City residents, 400 Metro-North, 400 Long Island Rail Road, 200 New Jersey Transit bus, 200 New Jersey Transit Rail, 200 Long Island Bus, and 200 PATH users. New York City residents were contacted using RDD techniques while each of the other samples was first recruited in-system and then recontacted by phone. In a related study, qualitative research was conducted to assess Mail N' Ride customers reaction to the introduction of the new unlimited monthly MetroCard pass.

Recently, SRBI has conducted two studies for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and TransitCenter, a public/private organization that represents transit operators and businesses in the metropolitan region. The objective of the first study was to explore customer perceptions of the marketability, operation, and administration of the new TransitChek MetroCard and its potential effects on the existing transit subsidy program. Both qualitative and quantitative research techniques were utilized in this evaluation. A second post implementation study assessed customer satisfaction with TransitChek MetroCard, investigated integration behavior and forecasted overall demand.