IMPACT OF FARE COLLECTION ON BUS DESIGN

The primary objectives of this study are: to investigate and evaluate the nature of new bus designs which better accommodate the primary functions of public transit, if the fundamental constraint of on-board, driver monitored, fare collection were removed; to postulate and assess new off-board fare collection methods that would complement such bus designs; and to assess the potential synergistic effects of new buses/new fare collection systems that serve to improve transit efficiency and productivity, and overall service to the riding public. The design concept effort was focused on the standard 40-foot transit bus, although potentially relevant to other sizes of buses. This report examines the potential impact on transit bus design of freeing the bus designer from the constraint that fares must be collected and monitored on-board the bus by the driver. Conceptual transit bus designs are developed, which offer the potential for operating cost reductions and substantial improvements in passenger service characteristics. Current U.S. fare collection costs and total bus operating costs are assessed and compared to those possible with new buses and compatible off-board fare collection systems. The report contains considerable information on both bus design and fare collection system trends in the U.S. and Western Europe. Although this study focused on the standard 40-foot transit bus, results herein indicate that operational benefits of off-board fare collection become greater on high capacity vehicles rather than on 40-foot transit buses.