MONTEREY COUNTY — U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced that Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) will receive approximately $450,000 in federal support for research into new tools and approaches to improve the transit rider experience.
The funding from FTA’s Enhancing Mobility Innovation (EMI) program enables transit agencies and research organizations to advance technologies, strategies and innovations that create a safe, reliable, equitable and accessible transit experience, from developing simpler ways for riders to pay fares to adjusting transit schedules based on demand.
MST will test and demonstrate a method to verify the eligibility for rider discounts in contactless payment systems. The systems allow transit riders to use credit or debit cards to pay fares, and MST’s new approach will verify eligible riders can tap to pay while receiving discounts based on their employment or student status.
MST is one of two transit agencies to receive a 2025 EMI grant award.
FTA’s EMI program supports innovation in mobility to meet the evolving needs of transit riders; advances equitable and climate-smart transportation; and improves public transportation. FTA will disseminate key findings and practices from each EMI project to inform and encourage similar innovations nationwide.
