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Market Soundings

Caltrans and its regional and local partners conducted these Market Sounding exercises by collecting written information and conducting follow-up interviews about the knowledge and capabilities of various market players and industry professionals. The information outlined in the resulting reports represents the individual commercial views and interests of the Market Sounding participants. These reports are intended solely for informational purposes and are not to be construed, under any circumstances, by implication or otherwise, as a recommendation for any specific policies, solutions, or services.

There are no Market Soundings open at this time.

Request a notification when our next Market Sounding is announced by emailing calitp@dot.ca.gov.

Payment Issuance (2020)

CalSTA, Caltrans, and our rail and transit partners, acting through the Cal-ITP Steering Committee, conducted a Market Sounding to gather input from companies in the marketplace regarding their capabilities and interest in supporting payment issuance. Contributions will help Cal-ITP find optimal and effective payment solutions-enabling a seamless public transportation experience for the residents, visitors, businesses, and institutions of California.

Third Market Sounding Information Document (PDF) - Published July 31, 2020

Market Sounding Kick-Off Event Slide Deck (PDF)- Published August 7, 2020

Real-Time Transit Vehicle Occupancy (2020)

Cal-ITP partners seek to increase the quality and quantity of transit data published by California's transit agencies.

CalSTA, Caltrans, and their regional and local partners announce the release of a second Market Sounding for passenger counting technologies. Knowing historical passenger loads is crucial for agency planning, and social distancing has brought new attention to real-time passenger occupancy in trip planning. Cal-ITP partners are interested to hear about technologies from all industries that can accurately and precisely count and transmit the number of people aboard a transit vehicle and appreciate your help producing better information for California's transit riders.

Second Market Sounding Report (PDF) - Published October 13, 2019.

Payments Landscape (2019)

CalSTA, Caltrans, and their regional and local partners conducted a Market Sounding exercise with the purpose of collecting written information about the knowledge and capabilities of various market players and industry professionals. The main focus of the Market Sounding was payment systems: how a statewide effort could simplify and remove friction from fare payment in California. However, where a payment system interfaces and interacts with other key areas such as mobility service data, or wayfinding, these were considered in scope of the market sounding.

Cal-ITP partners hosted a Market Sounding kick-off event for interested parties on Thursday, August 15, 2019, at the Market Square Studio in the Twitter building, 1355 Market Street, in San Francisco. At this event, Chad Edison, Deputy Secretary for Transportation at CalSTA, and project consultant Jeroen Kok, Rebel Group, presented Cal-ITP goals and the Market Sounding process and took questions.

First Market Sounding Report (PDF)- Published October 31, 2019.

Feasibility Study (2020)

As a result of the Market Sounding, nine potential initiatives were identified that Cal-ITP could deploy to meet its objectives. These nine initiatives have since been further refined into three concrete and realistic initiatives, some of which have multiple components. These three initiatives are:

  • Ensure access to reliable and accurate transit information;

  • Reduce friction in payments; and

  • Create a statewide eligibility verification program.

While the potential benefits of implementing these initiatives have already been identified, an analysis was needed to fully assess the financial and economic benefits of implementing each of these initiatives.

Feasibility Study (PDF) - Published April 24, 2020.