Webinar: Building Equity Into Transit Payment Systems
Transform’s transportation work supports transit from two directions: more funding from the government to ensure reliable operations, and more access for riders, especially those who qualify for discount programs. Our recent report, Fair and Accessible Fares: Economic Justice in Transit, outlines steps transit agencies must take as they adopt new payment technologies to make sure their most vulnerable riders aren’t left behind. On November 13, 2025, at 3 p.m. PT, we’ll present an online webinar on our findings and speak with experts on best practices for open payments transitions and digital payments accessibility.
Read the report.
The right way to launch open payments
Technological upgrades to how riders pay for transit are making it easier to hop on a train or bus in many communities. One of the most recent advances is the adoption of open payments, or tap-to-ride, on Bay Area transit systems. BART launched open payments in August of 2025, and the other transit providers under the umbrella of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) will adopt it in December.
However, MTC’s open payments system doesn’t include a mechanism to recognize riders who qualify for discounted fares. Tap-to-pay could provide significant relief to low-income riders by allowing them to pay as they ride rather than loading scarce funds onto a prepaid Clipper card. However, those with discounted fares don’t have an alternative to Clipper yet. In addition, the MTC system doesn’t include automatic fare-capping — that is, counting fares toward the cost of a weekly or monthly pass and providing rides for free once that amount is met. Greg Fair, Director of the California Digital Identity Program, will join the panel at the webinar to talk about the resources available to verify riders’ eligibility for discounted fares.
Our report includes a case study of Monterey-Salinas Transit’s successful and equitable transition to open payments. In the webinar, we’ll talk with Carl Sedoryk, CEO and General Manager of Monterey-Salinas Transit, about the steps his transit agency took to help unbanked and underbanked residents make full use of its Tap2Ride program.
A helping hand for banking and digital payments
One of the major barriers to receiving discounted fares is a lack of access to digital payments. Transit riders tend to be disproportionately unbanked or underbanked, and transit is an excellent way to help people become more comfortable with banking services and digital payments. The report highlights resources to support transit providers in connecting their riders with digital payment options. At the webinar, we’ll be joined by Aaron Hirsh, Principal at Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, who works with BankOn, a platform that certifies banks with products that are accessible to low-income people.
We hope you’ll join us for our panel discussion to move us toward more equitable adoption of new transit fare technologies.
- When: Thursday, November 13, 2025, 3 p.m. PT
- Where: Zoom
- Cost: Free, but registration required
