HKS PolicyCast
A weekly podcast featuring voices from HKS and beyond.
Social Media, Blogs and RSS
HKS social media presence
Home > News & Events > Events Calendar > Your Phone is Your Ticket – Mobile Innovation at the MBTA
Event Detail
print
emailWednesday, October 10, 2012
Your Phone is Your Ticket – Mobile Innovation at the MBTA
The MBTA faces significant long-term financial challenges and
continuing demand for customer improvements . At the same
time, the T has seen record ridership growth. The T has
turned to the use of new technologies, allowing it to do more
with less, to meet these challenges.
In this talk, Josh Robin discusses two recent MBTA initiatives that
have improved the customer experience at a low cost. In its
open data initiative, the MBTA released trip planning and real-time
service information to software developers, spurring the creation
of dozens of applications to answer the question, “Where is the
T?” With its mobile ticketing effort set to launch publicly
later this year, the MBTA is working to allow customers to purchase
and use commuter rail tickets via their mobile phones.
Through this new approach, the MBTA is allowing customers to use
their phone as a ticket office – all at a fraction of the cost of
installing new vending machines and other infrastructure. These two
projects represent the new approach the MBTA has taken in allowing
customers to, “bring their own” infrastructure as opposed to the
agency installing costly and complex infrastructure of their
own. Josh Robin is the Director of Innovation at the Massachusetts
Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) and Policy Aide for the Executive
Office of Transportation. In these roles, he leads the MassDOT’s
award-winning Developers Initiative and other initiatives focused
on getting drivers and riders timely and accurate information about
the transportation system. This initiative has made Massachusetts a
national leader in the Government 2.0 movement and improved the
quality of life of thousands of Massachusetts residents and
visitors. Josh is a graduate of Northeastern University. Suggested Readings:
Boston.com – “Brainstorming a Better Commute”
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/01/brainstorming_a.html The Boston Globe – “The App That Charlie Really Could Have
Used”
http://articles.boston.com/2012-04-21/news/31379636_1_commuter-rail-free-app-qr
- Location:Taubman 401
- Date:Wednesday, October 10, 2012
-
Time:4:30 PM
