Case Study: Frederick County achieves easier fare purchasing and improved rider satisfaction with TripSpark mobile ticketing

Mobile Ticketing Launch for Frederick County Users

Frederick County’s TransIT is the county public transit system serving local, commuter and paratransit riders with roughly 840,000 one-way passenger trips a year. For 25 years fares were paid only with exact change or paper tickets purchased in person or by mail, and with about 60% of riders having mobile Internet access the agency needed a more modern, cost‑effective way to offer passes and bulk discounts without the high infrastructure cost of smart card systems.

On January 1, 2015 TransIT launched TripSpark’s mobile ticketing app, rebranded as TransIT ezFARE, letting riders register, add funds and buy single fares or day/month passes from their phones; drivers verify fares visually to avoid expensive onboard validators for now. The app saw immediate uptake (30 downloads in week one), earned positive rider feedback, improved access to fare options and satisfaction, and positions TransIT to add features like real‑time arrivals while keeping deployment costs low.

Frederick County

Adrienne Moretz

Community Relations Manager for TransIT Services