Request for Proposals: City of Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus Mobile Ticketing Fare Collection System

Big Blue Bus (BBB), a division of the Santa Monica Department of Transportation (DOT), operates 194 transit buses across 69 square miles of greater Los Angeles providing more than 800,000 rides each month. BBB is committed to providing an exceptional user experience onboard its buses, beginning with its three fare collection systems with which all customers interact. Currently, the majority (74% in FY 2022-23) of BBB customers board using the regional Transit Access Pass (TAP) ticketing system. Another 17% of customers pay with cash, and a small but consistent percentage of BBB customers (5%) board with mobile tickets, which can be purchased in smartphone apps including the Token Transit mobile ticketing app and trip-planning apps including Transit, Google Wallet, Moovit, and Bestmap.BBB's fare passes currently include regular undiscounted single-trip passes, which account for the majority of passes sold. BBB also offers one-day unlimited ride passes, 7-day unlimited ride passes, 30-day unlimited ride passes, annual unlimited ride passes, and 10-ride passes for regular and Senior-Disabled-Medicare (SDM) and youth customers. Children five and under ride free.BBB is seeking proposals for the purchase and implementation of a modern mobile ticketing system that offers a mobile phone app that would allow BBB customers to purchase and store QR-coded tickets using their smartphones. The mobile tickets could then be activated and scanned by the current SPX Genfare fareboxes installed onboard all BBB vehicles. Additional capabilities would include mobile ticketing fare collection software capable of storing, managing, and providing management reports on all information on the collection of mobile bus fares, including full fare and reduced fare products for purchase. The system would facilitate the creation and printing of QR-coded paper tickets that can be read by the fareboxes, designed for bulk sales to social service agencies. The successful proposer would have a fare collection system that could be integrated with third-party apps so customers could purchase their tickets in trip-planning or other apps. Optionally, the system could include a web portal for passengers to purchase fare media and manage their accounts. The successful proposer would also provide project management, training, and implementation support.