New transit partner: Welcome, RABA! In March, we activated Redding Area Bus Authority in Cal-ITP Benefits. RABA becomes the eighth transit agency to adopt Cal-ITP Benefits and, following VCTC's launch in October of last year, the second agency that contracts with Enghouse for fare processing. RABA is launching with all currently supported self-serve enrollment pathways, including older adults (65+), Medicare cardholders, U.S. Veterans, and—for the first time in Cal-ITP Benefits—people with low income. While RABA is now ready for rider enrollments, they plan to announce its availability publicly in April.
First-ever low-income enrollment pathway goes live. This is a big one. Although we've offered the self-service low-income enrollment option to agencies using Cal-ITP Benefits since July 2024, RABA is the first to enable it for their riders. Californians who have recently received CalFresh funds can now verify their eligibility for a transit benefit and register their bank card for a reduced fare entirely online — no need to share income, no manual review by agency staff, and no on-site visit required. Neither RABA nor Cal-ITP Benefits ever sees or stores a rider's personal information. Approximately 5,500 households living along RABA's fixed-route service routes receive public assistance, so we're excited to see this new benefit option expanding access to equitable transit in Shasta County. Check out a walkthrough of the rider experience available on the Cal-ITP YouTube channel.
Big agency technology for smaller transit operators. The low-income enrollment pathway in Cal-ITP Benefits uses the same architecture that MTC uses for its recently announced CalFresh-based verification in the Clipper START program in the Bay Area. Cal-ITP Benefits makes this solution accessible to agencies of any size, anywhere in California, as part of its standard product offering. Like most enrollment pathways in Cal-ITP Benefits, the low-income enrollment pathway uses the California Department of Technology's Identity Gateway to confirm a rider's identity and verify their eligibility for a transit benefit. Establishing data-sharing agreements and building API integrations with state and federal agencies takes significant time and effort — work that individual transit agencies struggle to do on their own. CDT is doing this work so agencies don't have to.
If your agency is considering a transition to open-loop payments for fare collection, the efficiencies and convenience that come from using Cal-ITP Benefits for your discount fare program are another reason to make the move.
Get in touch, and Cal-ITP will guide you through the process.
Cheers!
Andy
Product Lead, Cal-ITP Benefits
andy@compiler.la
