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Traveling Smart: A Year with the Q Card
Monday, January 12, 2009 4:47 PM  

Jeff Linton, METRO's director of revenueA year ago, we launched the METRO Q® fare card - a smart card which passengers tap against an electronic reader to deduct a fare from a preloaded balance.

So far, the METRO Q® has been working great, says Jeff Linton, director of revenue at METRO.  

"Seventy percent of our customers are using the Q Card," says Linton. "It's an excellent penetration rate. We've made the Q Card so easily acceptable to our customer base. It's just something that customers can reload at almost any location."

Not only is the Q Card working well with our riders, the technology is also giving us ridership data that the former magnetic-striped tickets could not give. "It is something our employees can use as a technology tool to help us manage the business better," points out Linton. "It gives us good data. It gives us good sales information."

It cost $30 million to switch to the Q Card - and that includes 2,900 pieces of equipment, a sophisticated Web application, an extensive network of retailers, a portable PDA type device for police to check Q Card payments and the cost of five million plastic Q Cards.

Of the 70 percent of our customers who are using the Q Card, about 40 percent are reloading their cards with the Back-of-the-Bus Reloaders. Another 30 percent are using the Web to reload their cards.

The remaining 30 percent are adding money to their balance by going to our RideStore, retailers around town, through their colleges or social agencies, or via the Ticket Vending Machines on the rail platforms and at the Park & Ride lots.

About 200 retailers - including Fiesta, HEB and  Valero gas stations - are able to add money to Q Cards. Retailers get a 3 percent commission. "It's been very successful at our major supermarkets," said Linton. "Whether it continues or we eliminate it, we're analyzing it."

This year, METRO will be focusing on increasing the number of customers who use the Web to reload their Q Cards. We'll also work on signing up more Web sponsors, said Linton.

Q Card users have also earned benefits. For every 50 trips, we give five free trips, and so far, 1.5 million riders have taken advantage of our loyalty program.

In addition to switching to a new way to pay, METRO also changed its fare structure, eliminating dozens of discounts. That was an industry first.

"To my knowledge, nobody has done a fare restructuring in the size and scope that we did at the same time they implemented a new, advanced fare collection technology," said Linton. "There was a lot of advanced planning and advanced testing to make sure everything worked before we did these two major projects simultaneously."

In fact, last year's rollout and fare restructuring went so smoothly, the industry took notice. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has chosen Houston for its fare collection workshop.  

The event will feature international speakers and include our own experts - President & CEO Frank J. Wilson, Rich Lobron, who directed the Q card project, and Linton.  

"We'll be conducting tours of our facilities and taking people to various locations throughout the city to see the Q Card in operation," said Linton. The conference, hosted by METRO, will be from March 15 to 18.

The advice Linton would give to other transit agencies considering a switch to a smart card?

"Make sure your customer base and other potential customers understand what the new fare collection is, and in our case, the new fare structure. We had to do both. We had to not only teach folks how to use the new Q Card, but to understand and navigate the new fare structure," said Linton.

We placed "Ask Me" teams on the rail platform and at transit centers, advertised on the radio and the Houston Chronicle. "We flooded the marketplace with a tremendous amount of Q Card information," said Linton.

One more thing METRO did that no other agency has done: When we switched to a smart card, everyone had only two ways to pay: Q Card or cash. Other transit agencies that have switched have continued to use magnetic-striped tickets and tokens.

"We got rid of the old instruments over a three-month period," said Lobron. "We didn't soil the new technology with the ancient history."

 

 

 

Posted by Mary Sit
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    • Comments

    J. Liggins said:

    Awesome!  Now where oh where is the blog to discuss the dismal 55% on time performance rate?

    # January 12, 2009 8:22 PM

    Hank Grill said:

    How using the running card of the card swipes to show the amount of available seats on park and ride buses. You could show it on the over the door led screen and would save everyone a lot of trouble not to mention it makes a lot of sense. Oh wait, it makes TOO MUCH sense that's why it'll never see the light of day...

    # January 12, 2009 8:44 PM

    Hank Grill said:

    How about using the running count of the card swipes to show the amount of available seats on park and ride buses? You could show it on the over the door led screen and would save everyone a lot of trouble not to mention it makes a lot of sense. Oh wait, it makes TOO MUCH sense that's why it'll never see the light of day...

    # January 12, 2009 8:45 PM

    Royko said:

    I am waiting for the December numbers.  God only knows when the Legal Dept will release the data.

    This is from two weeks ago.  One must observe that the Q-Card has helped generate more revenue, while it exposes other past flaws in METREAUX policy:

    METREAUX fixed-route bus boardings declined -24.27% for Nov. 08 over Nov 07.  Bus boardings for first 2 months of FY 2009 is -15.57% below the same FY 2008 period.

    The bus fare box revenue increased 27.58% for November, and is up 23.6% for the first 2 months of FY2009.

    The tram boardings were off -8.44% for November, and the estimated tram boardings for the first 2 months of FY2009 have declined -6.75%.  The tram boardings have DECLINED each of the past FOUR months as compared to the same period in 2007.

    Yet, the TVM revenue was reported to be UP +176.83% over November of 2007.  The TVM revenue is UP +161.03% for the first two months of FY2009.

    The tram boardings for FY2009 have DECLINED -6.75% from the first two months of FY 2008, but due to the Q-card, the TVM revenue for FY2009 is UP +161% over FY2008.

    # January 12, 2009 9:36 PM

    Cedric Collins said:

    Royko,

         Still at it, I see?  Good luck---if there's anything good that may come out of it.

    (sighs)  Anyhoo, I think the Q Card is great BUT there's STILL people who think they can ride for free---even with the Q.  Tell me---how is METRO going to combat that on-going problem?  I see this everyday of the work week.

    J,

     You ain't gonna see any blog that talks about how late buses are and stuff like that.  I can safely say that they may not care about that---only that a bus eventually shows up and you ride it.

    ~Cedric Collins~

    # January 13, 2009 12:51 PM

    Royko said:

    Mr. CoLLins,

    You ask me how to stop free rides.  How are they getting to ride buses for free?  The operators ensure those boarding have some proof of payment.

    Or, are you refering to the Lee. P. Brown boondoggle legacy, unsafe and unreliable tram?

    I fight the urge to flippantly suggest "shut it down now, and scrap it - don't keep throwing good taxpayer funds after bad!"

    They could start with turnstiles, except they devised a configuration that does not lend its self to that, so the only other easy way is "RAT ON A RAT" program where a tipster who turns in a violator gets a free Obama commemerative keepsake.  If that is not enough incentive, try $50 or $100 debit cards as rewards.  The revenue can be from the collected fines from the violators.  For a annual grand prize or annual award, give a way a Q-Card that maintains a positive balance for one year.

    Other than that, a last-ditch tactic might be if the MPD tasered a few violators as they apprehend them, in the vehicle or on the platforms, they will send a resounding message that one does not want to be "processed" as a violator.  I would think compliance rates would trend up.

    # January 14, 2009 12:57 PM

    DominicMazoch said:

    As a person who does ride and use the Q card:  I though the thing would NEVER work.  Now I love it.  Just charge the thing up and go

    # January 14, 2009 6:57 PM

    C said:

    I finally picked up a Qcard at Kroger in August. And I loaded it one day and the woman at METRO said my card wasn't registered. DUHHHH~!!!!~

    Well I will NEVER register my Qcard with METRO nor will I use a credit/debit card to load my un-registered Qcard. Because they can trace the credit/debit purchase back to you.

    I just cant trust METRO and I truly believe that METRO is collecting data on the way people travel and using it improperly.

    I know for a FACT! that METRO can pull up a log of EVERY trip you have ever made just by swapping or typing in your Qcard serial number.

    The Qcard IS NOT SAFE

    # January 15, 2009 10:08 PM

    wi11ie said:

    Uh.....

    If that has you going, then think of the GPS locator that is built into your phone.

    Who doesn't have a cell phone..

    I can track my kids using MY phone and can see on a map just exactly where and at what speed they are moving.

    I am much more afraid of Uncle Sam then I am of METRO.

    Think Uncle Sam isn't watching you?

    wi11ie

    # January 16, 2009 12:14 AM

    DominicMazoch said:

    Wi11ie:

    I am MORE concerned about US BIG business than Uncle Sam..............Look how they track things with cookies over things on the net.

    # January 16, 2009 7:34 PM

    coug6666 said:

    Why has metro changed the Q card fare in Nuvember? I dont mean the fare increase but the ability to have a negative balance on the Q card. Before the fare increase there was only a positive balance or no balance at all. Once the fare increase went into effect this item was slipped into the system without any announcement. Most bus drivers have no idea how much of a neagtive balance one can accumulate? one driver stated that metro has always had this ability but never implemented this action until the november fare increase. This same driver stated that the amount of negative balance can vary up to 4.50$ and that in order to use the card the amount owed plus the current fare must be added to the Q card before one can use the card again. Is this correct? Would this not lead one to simply run up multiple negative balances on many Q cards thus getting every other ride free. Can you imagine a 4.50 park and ride paying only for one trip while getting the second one free!Ms Sit why was this change not implemented from the onset of the Q card thus saving all this confusion at this late date? What is metro's policy on balances and how can one track their balances.When one has a negative balance, the Q fare box does not show any balance only "No credit ".

    # January 17, 2009 8:15 PM

    JamesL said:

    I can see where it might be more convenient for the riders to let it go negative to speed boarding and whatnot. It should be limited to -75 cents though so that two dollar bills in the reloader will always give you enough for a ride.

    # January 18, 2009 2:34 PM

    Cheryl L said:

    As much as I enjoy the Q I have never gotten a straight answer as to why the re-load machines are not on every bus.  Why does the largest bus with the most potential passengers have no re-load?  Dropped the ball on that one, didn't you?

    # January 18, 2009 9:50 PM

    Cedric Collins said:

    Cheryl L,

            Even I can tell you that there is no way METRO can put a Q Card Reloader onto any of the 45' suburban coaches or 60' articulated buses without eliminating at least two or more seats to provide enough room for people to do their thing without being in somebody's way.

    It's bad enough that at least one seat (on the 40' low floor buses---most likely, the seat is just covered up) and two (on the 30' single-door low floor buses) are lost to the Q Card Reloader.

    # January 20, 2009 11:40 AM

    Henry Ramsey said:

    I've observed several issues that METRO needs to fix about the Qcard and specifically the Qreloader units.

    1. The Qcard readers at the front of the bus are finicky about where one places their card. Some don't work with my card at all.  As in they don't even acknowledge it's there.  Some require that I tap and hold for a moment, others a single tap and run works just fine.

    2. The green light comes on when you tap the card and it successfully reads the card, but the beep is still not loud enough to be heard by the operator.  METRO we've been complaining about this since the Q was only in testing.  When are you going to fix it?!

    If someone is blocking their view some operators ask people to tap their card again so they can verify the card was read successfully. The Qreaders need to be moved so the driver can see it directly.  Also, a 'hood' needs to be installed over the reader displays.  If there is bright sunshine coming in either the front or driver's window the reader display is impossible to see without cupping one's hand over it this is diffcult if the bus is in motion.

    3. The Q-reloaders dont work more than half the time.

    The reloader bill inputs are finicky about how wrinkled the bill is. If it has a single crease the thing won't accept it. I've watched people struggle for minutes sometimes with getting the thing to accept a single bill. Then when they get it to go in it'll sometimes spit it back out and the movement of the bus make the money blow away onto the floor.  This is extremely frustrating to say the least and could be dangerous.

    4. Another reason the Qreloaders don't work is that they are reportedly not emptied of money on a regular basis.  I got this from one of the bus drivers I talk with regularly so I don't know if it's true.  But METRO is losing money if the thing is full no one can reload money onto their Qcard with it.

    5. The Qreloader works too fast from money acceptance to loading money onto the card.  There are three lights Red, Yellow, and Green.  The red light comes on when there's an error.  The green light comes on when the card has been successfully loaded with money and the Yellow comes on when there is money in the slot waiting for one to put their card in the slot.  The problem is I've watched many people go to the driver in frustration that the thing stole their money.  

    The reason?  As soon as the card get even close to the slot it loads the money onto the card bypassing the need to insert the card at all When they actually put it in the slot it doesn't need to be there. When this happens the red light comes on with the message to insert money first.

    The Qreloader needs to be adjusted so it doesn't reload the card until the card it actually in the slot all the way. The instruction imply this is how it works and so it should work that way.

    These are my observations of the Qcard system.  It works but there are still issues. The bottom line is there is much room for improvement and since METRO cares little for it's customers' convenience these issues will likely never be fixed.

    # January 25, 2009 5:04 PM

    Mary Sit said:

    Henry Ramsey,

    Here are some answers to your questions from the revenue department:

    On the Q Card readers being finicky about where one places the Q Card:

    The proper way to tap a Q Card is to place the middle of the card flat against the middle of the reader.

    On the beep not being loud enough:

    The speaker is integrated with the card reader, and it is working as designed.

    On moving the Q readers so the bus drivers can see them:

    Most buses have limited mounting points. The Q readers are angled slightly toward the drivers for their convenience.

    We recognize that direct sunlight presents a problem viewing any electronic device; however, placing a "hood" over the reader is a safety concern. It is a safety violation for a patron to be standing in the boarding area while the bus is moving.  

    On finicky reloaders that won't accept wrinkled bills:

    We have all experienced the frustration of vending machines not accepting bill notes. Rest assured, the bill note acceptor used on our "reloaders" are standard in our industry.

    On malfunctioning reloaders that are full of money:

    METRO maintains a vaulting schedule, and all buses are emptied on a regular basis. There are procedures in place to deal with this issue of faulty equipment.

    On the Q reader working too fast:

    Your description is accurate in that the Q Card reader is a proximity device, meaning that the card just has to come into range of the reader. There is no mechanical switch on the slot. If value were not properly added to a card, please visit or contact our METRO RideStore at 713-739-6368. Hours are M-F, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

    We appreciate your comments, and will take them into account to improve our new system and better serve our customers.

    # January 27, 2009 5:14 PM

    John said:

    A suggestion - please go clean up the section on the web site about the Q Card. If you've never used one, it's really not easy to figure out where you can reload them, etc. (I mean, PDFs of locations?) There should be a page called "how to add money to your card" that explains it clearly.

    # January 28, 2009 6:30 AM
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