MOBILE CONNECTIVITY:The Emergence of Apps and their Potential for Transit

Steve Halberstadt

Clever Devices, Sr. Product Manager

Woodbury, NY

IncreasingReliance

• Email/SMS/Messaging

• Photos/Video

• Music

• Social Networking

• Games

• Shopping

• Banking

• News

• Web browsing

• Navigation

Growing expectation of

ubiquitous and instant

information

Well-designed Transit

apps are a perfect fit

for this model!

• Users spend 90% of their

“app time” on just five apps

• Top used apps are associated

with a daily activity

• Apps which are uniquely

entertaining and informative rise

above others

App Usage

Source: comScore U.S. Mobile App Report, Sept. 2015

• Encourage daily usage

• Reduce rider anxiety

• Inform and alert

• Provide meaningful services

• Improve communication

• Raise agency perception

• Extend existing ridership

• Entice new riders

Well designedTransit apps:

How is this achieved?

Encourage Daily Usage: Prioritize real-time information, provide incentives

Reduce Rider Anxiety: Predictive arrivals, visibility of vehicle progression

Inform and alert: Push notifications, service bulletins

Provide meaningful services: Geolocation, trip planning, electronic fares

Improve communication: Social links, direct customer service, feedback forms, polls

Raise agency perception: Trust, satisfaction, predictability

Extend existing ridership: Weekday only to weekend trips

Entice new riders: Youth, choice riders, visitors

Tangible Results

• Riders who DON’T use RTPI:• Estimate 15% longer wait times than actual

• Feel more aggravated while waiting (which makes wait times seem longer)

• Have lessened trust in using public transportation

• Riders who DO use RTPI:• Spend less time waiting at stops

• Are less concerned about missing an earlier bus

• Feel more freedom to make use of extra time when bus is running late (work,

get a coffee, etc.)

• Report experiencing less frustration with public transportation

Source: Transportation Research Part A, Vol. 45, Issue 8

Case

Study:

Oakville Transit

Mobile App

iOSAndroid

Released Feb 2016

More than 10,000

installs

Well-planned

marketing and social

networking exposureResults?

Do’s and Don’ts

Do:• Beta test with representative users

• Market, market, MARKET!

• Ensure unique, meaningful functionality

• Provide incentives

Don’t:• Invade your user’s rights to privacy

• Over complicate

• Require latest operating system

• Ignore user feedback

Eliminate uncertainty. Inform. Educate. Excite.

The mobile revolution is here. Hop on.

Thank You.