The MBTA Mobile Ticketing Team sent out surveys yesterday to help guide the direction of a new mobile ticketing app, and get users to try out the technology later this month.
Since yesterday, nearly 600 people have returned the surveys, and of those people, about 95 percent said they’d be interested in testing the app out.
“There was a cool feeling yesterday of sitting there just after we sent the survey and getting about 100 responses in the first couple of minutes. Just watching number change every second was a lot of fun,” said MBTA Director of Innovation Joshua K. Robin.
Robin said that people’s willingness to give feedback shows that there is a strong interest in improving the commuter experience.
“I think it shows that people love and care about the T, and want to make it better. These people spend an hour or two in the system each day; that’s a big part of their lives. We want them to be a part of this. We don’t want to just put this app out there sometime in the fall and then that’s it,” he said.
The 10-question survey asked users which commuter rail line they usually ride, where they usually board the train, their age, whether they typically buy single rides or monthly fares, what type of smart phone they use, and how often they use them to make purchases.
The MBTA will select about 100 people for the first training session later this month. Those who don’t make it into this round will have the chance to participate in more app focus groups before the technology goes live this fall.
The first MBTA ticket mobile app testing sessions will run from July 17 to July 19 near South Station, North Station, and Back Bay Station, and will last about an hour.
Another perk – free food.
“The fact they’re willing to spend the time and offer real, meaningful feedback is something we want to recognize,” Robin said of the free grub.
