San Joaquin Council of Governments: EZHub, Fare Payments-as-a-Service for the Vamos Mobility App
In late 2018, the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) and the region’s 7 transit operators sought to integrate fares under the guise of easing the transit experience for riders by developing a program that would provide both trip planning and fare payments to citizens all in one online location. SJCOG hit the drawing board for new ideas and ways to improve the transit riders daily experience. Based on extensive research, planning meetings, and comments from presented concepts SJCOG decided to further invest in a system they already had in place. The Vamos Mobility application helps citizens plan their trips, all SJCOG had to do was find a way to build in a payment structure. The Vamos Mobility app had launched in Spring 2019 through a partnership with transit operators from both San Joaquin and Stanislaus County, Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG), UC Davis, and the California Air Resources Board.
In the Winter of 2019, SJCOG sought a mobile ticketing developer that would merge a fare payment system with the Vamos Mobility App. SJCOG partnered with Masabi LLC and their fare-payments-as-a-service product and in November 2020, EZHub was officially launched onto the Vamos Mobility Platform. This “one stop shop” provides users with seamless trip planning and ticket purchasing all on the same page. In addition to this, the program provides a contactless payment option and allows opportunities such as fare capping, ticket promotions, and carsharing reservations.
The platform ensures greater communication and coordination between transit agencies allowing them to work together as one region. This ultimately enhances the community’s experience by giving transit users the opportunity to purchase tickets from the seven participating transit systems. The partnership between SJCOG and Masabi is scalable in order met the needs of varied transit agencies providing more equitable access to the platform. The investment into Vamos made collaboration possible and will now make way for additional investments and expansions to the platform.
The development of EZ-Hub is a rare case in which competitors have joined together to enhance an existing taxpayer-funded program. It is a prime example of what can be accomplished through regional collaboration, coordination, and partnerships. The app, available from the App Store and Google Play, has connected residents of California’s Central Valley with affordable, clean, and safe transit.