CityFlow Solutions: Promoting New Integrated Transit Payment

The Challenge: Shifting Habits for New Technology

CityFlow Solutions partnered with LA Metro to launch an innovative, integrated payment app designed to make public transit seamless—allowing users to pay across multiple transit lines using a single digital pass. The main hurdle was behavioral: transit riders often stick to old habits (like paper passes), and many new residents were unaware the simplified system existed. CityFlow needed a high-trust, direct platform to educate the public and drive mass enrollment quickly.

The Healthy Streets LA Strategy

We focused the campaign entirely on simplicity, convenience, and direct utility, using precise segmentation to target both current and potential riders.

Phase 1: Highlighting Convenience and Reliability

• We developed outreach content that focused on key pain points: saving time at kiosks and the security of a digital pass. The messaging was direct: One Tap, One Pass, No Hassle.
• We used our platform to geo-target existing transit hubs and residential areas near major Metro lines, ensuring the message reached active riders first.
• We created specific content to educate occasional riders and university students on the simplicity of the app, linking it to student ID programs where applicable.

Phase 2: Direct-to-Consumer Enrollment

• The primary campaign channel was our SMS outreach, delivering direct links to the CityFlow app store page along with a step-by-step guide for first-time sign-ups.
• We ran a promotional series highlighting how the app integrates with other mobility options (like finding the nearest e-bike hub upon exiting the station), reinforcing the full smart city vision.
• We actively shared real-time updates and success stories on social channels to build public confidence in the new technology.

Results: Mass Enrollment and Increased Trust

The partnership successfully leveraged direct communication to overcome user inertia, leading to a rapid adoption of the new digital payment system.

Key Outcomes for CityFlow Solutions

• New User Enrollment (Transit App): 90,000+
• Consumer Engagement Rate (SMS Clicks): 22 percent
• Policy Awareness Lift (Understanding the new system): 65 percent increase among targeted users.

Impact on the Los Angeles Community

By promoting the integrated payment system, the partnership made public transit more user-friendly, reducing friction and encouraging sustainable ridership. This streamlined process is essential for making multi-modal travel—combining buses, rail, and shared mobility—a viable and appealing choice for all Angelenos.