How the LA Metro’s Boundary-Less Fare Cards Unlock Citizen Flexibility | Publicis Sapient

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How TAPforce turned fare cards into mobility accounts.

A digital mobility account connected fare payments with new transportation options.

A digital mobility account connected fare payments with new transportation options.

Client LA Metro

Industry Public Sector

Topic Experience & Commerce

Partner Salesforce

LA Metro is responsible for mobility across one of the country’s busiest regions, where getting from one place to another can involve multiple forms of transit. Ride-sharing, bike share and microtransit were giving Angelenos more choices, while expectations for how people access and pay for transportation were changing just as quickly. LA Metro saw an opportunity to make its existing TAP infrastructure useful across more of those choices. Working with Publicis Sapient, it began extending TAP beyond a traditional fare card, giving a broader mix of transportation options to the people it serves.

LA Metro aimed to help address the region’s most notorious challenge by increasing the relevance and usefulness of public transportation. They wanted to better serve citizens who had higher expectations, and more alternatives, than ever before. To do it right, they needed to rethink things holistically, leverage the latest data-driven technology, and negotiate win-win opportunities with new partners.

Publicis Sapient provided LA Metro with TAPforce, an engagement layer that turns traditional fare cards into digital accounts, giving patrons access to more mobility options more easily. TAPforce at its core is a Salesforce Community and Commerce solution that leverages Service Cloud for customer support and Marketing Cloud for engaging with patrons via SMS and email. The collaborative technology is providing benefits for consumers—offering promotions, discounts, rewards programs, and even the ability to load your online balance with cash. Now, more consumers can traverse the region more efficiently than ever before, and LA Metro is looking to expand rider options even further through more useful and unexpected partnerships.

TAP force has helped LA Metro meet the demands of public transportation’s new era. By integrating with third-party alternatives and payment systems, providing cash-based transactions, and offering personalized loyalty programs, they are incentivizing desirable travel habits by making public transportation more accessible. LA Metro has created new efficiencies, provided new opportunities for riders and providers, and reinforced their commitment to equity and customer service. On the first day of the new program, LA Metro onboarded 1,000 new metro Bike Share customers — immediately delivering on their goal of taking more drivers off the road and streamlining access to alternative transportation options for the high traffic region.

" This wasn’t your usual fare care upgrade. We weren’t seeking to compete more effectively for a shared audience or just process transactions more quickly. Public transportation needs had changed significantly, and consumer expectations shifted right alongside. To stay relevant, we needed to look for a better way to meet people where they were and get them where they wanted to go. "
— Robin O'Hara, Executive Officer, TAP Program at LA Metro

Publicis Sapient and Salesforce: Driving connected experiences together through digital business transformation

We help Clients maximize their Salesforce investment by providing unique, differentiated and high-value customer-centric solutions for today, with the scalability and flexibility to meet tomorrow's demand. Our partnership with Salesforce leverages the Publicis Groupe capability hubs—from business strategy and integrated technology to implementation, brand advertising, and creative production—providing Clients with end-to-end, ongoing operational support and strategy across the entire Salesforce suite of products.

Relevant Links

• Realizing LA Metro’s Boundary-less Vision
• Digital inclusion in mobility
• Transportation agencies are under growing pressure to do more than move people efficiently.
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• Account-based platform thinking in public services
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• FAQ (FAQ)
• 10 Things Buyers Should Know About LA Metro’s TAPforce Mobility Platform (LIST)