TransLink's new Compass Card bundles transit with car and bike share

Metro Vancouver residents could soon use their Compass Card to travel on not only TransLink’s public transit services, but also use various car share and bike share services by select providers.

• See also:
  • TransLink considering bundling transit services with car and bike share
  • TransLink’s switch to distance-travelled fares pushed to beyond 2020
  • TransLink releases new batch of coveted Compass Card wristbands

But for now, launching today, the new Shared Mobility program is being tested in a pilot program by a select group of 14 Vancouver-based employers who employ a combined total of about 200 people.

All employees will be provided with a white-coloured, co-branded Shared Mobility Compass Card, which can be used to pay for and unlock travel on Evo Car Share, Modo Co-operative Car Share, and Mobi Bike Share.

During the bundled shared transportation services pilot, the employers will be able to view employee travel expenses for each mode of travel at the end of the month through a streamlined expense report. Employees will only be able to use the new card for work-related travel.

The pilot program, running through the end of May 2020, allows the public transit authority to test the technical integration of the Compass system with the new services, potentially allowing for a wider integration in the future.

This new potential fare product is the result of a partnership announced in January of this year by TransLink with Evo, Modo, and Mobi that bundles their services to make multi-modal travel easier and more convenient.

The partnership was established after TransLink Tomorrow’s first Open Innovation Call, which sought individuals, entrepreneurs, academics, non-profit groups, and industry insiders to offer ideas on ways to improve mobility in the region.

“The Shared Mobility Pilot Program is ultimately about providing more choices and more convenience for customers. Those participating can take transit on their morning commute, cycle to meeting locations throughout the day, and unlock carshare services for the journey back home,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond in a statement.

“These individual trips will now all be possible with one easy and seamless payment method. I’m very much looking forward to the results of this pilot and how it will guide our next generation of travel tools.”