The current process whereby riders enter the bus through one door and pay one by one with MetroCards or coins is slowing our buses down.
Tap-and-go onboard fare collection and entry through multiple doors would speed up trips, especially on the most popular routes.
We’re calling on MTA leadership to implement all door boarding systemwide when the MetroCard is replaced. Requiring riders to stand on line at the front door and pay one by one slows buses down. All door boarding would dramatically reduce the time spent at bus stops, make it easier for passengers to get on board and move around within the bus, and improve the safety of bus drivers by removing them from a fare monitoring role.
Some question whether all door boarding may lead to more people evading the fare, but evidence from NYC and elsewhere demonstrates otherwise. Fare evasion reductions of 48-80% have been achieved on Select Bus Service routes in New York. Likewise San Francisco has reduced fare evasion by 17% since moving to a proof of payment system.
The MTA should continue to pursue better bus design to improve movement onto and within our buses. For example, low-floor buses and bus doors that open quickly and easily for entering or exiting passengers can reduce time spent at bus stops.
San Francisco tap-and-go. In San Francisco, all-door boarding was implemented on buses system wide in 2012. Riders can pay as they board the bus by tapping a farecard on readers available at either door. This has sped boarding at the busiest stops by nearly 40%.