FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Seamless Integration of CharmPass and Transit App Makes Using Transit Easier Than Ever
BALTIMORE, MD (OCTOBER 30, 2024) – The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration has announced that riders can now purchase CharmPass fares directly through the Transit app for trips taken on Local Bus, Light Rail, Metro Subway, MARC Train and Commuter Bus. Riders can now both plan their trip and seamlessly access their mobile tickets in one convenient location. This upgrade puts access to mobile ticketing front and center on the app riders use most often for transit trip planning, bus and train arrival information, and other service information. Each month 120,000 active users open the Transit app nearly 12 million times.
“Improving our customers’ transit experience is one of our key goals,” said Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold. “The integration of CharmPass and Transit app makes purchasing your tickets and navigating the system easier than ever before.”
Transit app is a free smartphone application for viewing bus and rail vehicle locations in real time, predicted arrival times, step-by-step navigation, and alerts regarding service disruptions. CharmPass is the Maryland Transit Administration’s mobile phone fare payment app that stores transit fare on the user’s phone, and with its CharmFlex option, even offers a discount off regular fares.
The CharmPass fare payment function on the Transit app is offered as a feature of the recent Transit Royale upgrade to the Transit app. The upgrade is available free to riders of Maryland Transit Administration vehicles. For current users of CharmPass, tapping the fare payment “button” will link them directly to their account. For those who are not signed up for CharmPass, tapping the button will lead them to the CharmPass app download in either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
For both current users and non-users of CharmPass, the button is intended as a reminder that digital fare payment is always the preferred payment option for its always-at-hand convenience, for its ability to minimize dwell time – the amount of time a bus remains idle while boarding passengers – and for its security features assuring that even if the phone is lost or stolen, fare payment remains secure.
The Maryland Transit Administration is one of the largest multi-modal transit systems in the United States, and operates Local Bus, Commuter Bus, Light Rail, Metro Subway, MARC Train Service and a comprehensive Mobility paratransit system. The goal of the Maryland Transit Administration is to provide safe, efficient, reliable transit across Maryland with world-class customer service. To learn more, visit mta.maryland.gov, check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/mtamaryland and follow us on X @mtamaryland.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Courtney Mims
Office: 410-767-8367
Cell: 667-392-0157
cmims@mdot.maryland.gov
Paul Shepard
Office: 410-767-3935
Cell: 443-622-4181
pshepard@mdot.maryland.gov
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