OnFootBlog.com

I tend to be skeptical whenever I hear the phrase “nine out of ten.” I think many other people are too. If you can’t quote me a percent, I would rather just hear that, for example “more than 80% of surveyed people chose brand X.”

With that skeptical prelude out of the way, let it be noted that the American Public Transportation Association sent a release today saying that nine out of ten transit agencies are raising fares. The release goes on to say the usual stuff — government should spend more to fund a public service that’s every bit as necessary as publicly funded roads, transit riders are being punished for making a responsible choice, bla bla bla.

While I agree with a lot of that stuff, there must be some way of getting a bit more out of existing transit budgets. Some smarties out there must know a few dozen ways.

To get the ball rolling, here’s a freebie: For those systems that still use paper passes, put a box in each bus or train car offering a chance at a free weekly pass in exchange for a little personal data and some purchase preferences on the back of a used bus card*. That data can then be used by marketers who pay for the data (and by the transit agency, which can target information at tough-to-reach riders). This avoids an Orwellian slippery slope by keeping the information collection voluntary and meatspace-based while also vastly improving the audience figures that advertisers can get — a big step up from the simple, impression-based “eyeballs for cash” model that most transit systems use for bus-side and shelter advertising.

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*Note: I fully realize how ironic it is that I start this post by trashing selective research, then flip around and encourage selective research. But if companies are willing to pay for it, this scheme might be worth a try, especially if it saves a transit route or two from cancellation.