TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: All-Door Boarding Pilot
BRIEFING ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ?
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider receiving a report on the performance of the District's All-door Boarding Pilot.
Staff Contact:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Convenient and Reliable Service
Initiative - Service Quality
This pilot program was launched to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks associated with all-door boarding. At other agencies, all-door boarding has led to reduced interactions with the operator, faster boarding, and more reliable service albeit with an increase in fare evasion. Staff has been gathering data and this report includes an assessment of the program since its inception, including effects on fare evasion. In addition, the District is set to implement the next generation of Clipper in the next year and this Pilot informs the District's approach to boarding policies associated with it.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no budgetary impact associated with this report. It is an update on the performance of the pilot program and doesn't recommend any policy changes that would result in costs. In the event the Board elects to expand the pilot to the system as a whole, there will be some loss of fare revenue but it is difficult to quantify.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
AC Transit launched its All-door Boarding Pilot on March 1, 2021, on lines 6 and 51B. Numerous agencies have piloted or implemented all-door boarding on some or all their fleet including San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). All-door boarding on AC Transit service allows customers with Clipper Cards to board through the rear door and tag a Clipper Card reader to pay their fare. The pilot required the installation of readers on the rear doors of all 25 vehicles participating in the pilot. It should be...
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