Action Item: Final Push for Apple Pay and contactless payments
Take action to help us get MTS board approval for fast and easy payments on public transit in San Diego.
This Thursday at 9am, the MTS board will vote to decided wether to upgrade the PRONTO payment system to support “Open Payments”. If approved, you'll be able to use your credit card or phone to quickly pay for your bus or trolley ride. RideSD first started advocating for this change almost a year ago.
But we need your help to make sure MTS approves this important upgrade. There’s three ways you can help:
Email written comment to the board by 4pm Wednesday (low effort, medium impact)
Give virtual comment over Zoom at the board meeting Thursday 9am (medium effort, high impact)
Give in-person comment at the board meeting Thursday 9am (high effort, maximum impact)
We're Counting On You! Your participation can play a vital role in ushering in a new era of convenience and accessibility in our transit system. Thank you for being an agent of positive change in our community.
1. Email written comment to the board
Deadline: 4 PM on Wednesday 9/13/2023
Email a comment to the clerk of the board following this template.
To: ClerkoftheBoard@sdmts.com
Subject: Support for Item 21 - Pronto Fare Collection System Open Payments
Email template (replace or delete [brackets]):
Hello Clerk of the Board – Can you please attach the following public comment to the Sep 14th board meeting Item 21 on Pronto fare collection system
Hello MTS Board,
I’m a resident of San Diego who wants it to be easy and fast to pay for public transit. It takes 191 clicks to sign up for the Pronto app, but it’d only take one tap of a contactless credit card, debit card, or mobile phone if you approve the plan for “open payments”.
Reducing barriers to using public transit is important for boosting transit ridership, helping our climate, improving air quality, and building a better community. It’s also needed to hit our climate action plans goal of mode shifting trips away from private cars.
[Insert a personal story about how contactless payments will help you take transit, or delete this section]
Please vote to support open payments to encourage transit adoption in San Diego.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
2. Give virtual comment over Zoom at the MTS board meeting (recommended option)
When: 9am on Thursday 9/14/2023
Where: https://zoom.us/i/98288032362 (see more detail in the meeting agenda)
Join the zoom and wait for "Item 21: PRONTO Fare Collection System - Contract Amendment" to be called and then use the Raise Hand feature on zoom to get in line to speak. This is the first discussion item on the agenda, so we anticipate it should come up fairly quickly after 9am.
RECOMMENDED TALKING POINTS (Choose a few or make them your own! Comments will likely be limited to 1-2 minutes.)
Hi, my name is [NAME], calling in SUPPORT of the open payments contract amendment.
Thank you MTS Staff for developing a great plan for open payments that will make it easy and fast to ride transit in San Diego.
I support Open Payments because of the following benefits (pick your favorites):
Attracts new riders as they won’t need to go through the Pronto App signup process.
Faster buses and more reliable service for all riders by reducing time to board.
Boosts revenue for MTS allowing them to run more frequent service.
Easy for tourists & for locals: Great for infrequent riders of transit who might become frequent riders of transit.
Bypasses frustrations with QR codes in the Pronto app. No more failing to scan in the sunlight or having bus drivers waive struggling passengers before they successfully pay.
Higher ridership: Studies show 6-10% increase in ridership after implementing open payments.
All the best transit systems are doing it: Modern, efficient, and user-friendly systems can boost public perception and trust in MTS.
3. In-person comment at MTS Board meeting
When: 9am on Thursday 9/14/2023
Where: Board Meeting Room - 10th Floor - 1255 Imperial Avenue (downtown SD)
If you happen to be in the downtown San Diego area, come by the meeting in person! A couple leaders of RideSD should be there in person. Use the talking points above for your comment. Reach out on Twitter or our Slack if you’re planning on doing this, we can grab coffee beforehand and sit together at the meeting.
RideSD is a grassroots organization advocating for better transit in San Diego. Signup for our newsletter below to hear about our events and opportunities to help advocate.