Mansha's Mobility Insights - (#1) - Maryland Transit Administration’s 2025 Customer Experience Action Plan

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Maryland Transit Administration’s 2025 Customer Experience Action Plan


Read the Full Document Here
https://lnkd.in/eKNt9bde


One of the most exciting things about working in transportation research is seeing how agencies across the country are redefining what “customer experience” really means in transit. As part of my new Mansha’s Mobility Insights series, I’m diving into noteworthy plans, reports, and action documents, highlighting innovations, best practices, and lessons worth sharing.

Today’s spotlight: the Maryland Transit Administration’s 2025 Customer Experience (CX) Action Plan.

At just 20 pages, this concise yet powerful document is a must-read for transit professionals. It showcases how a state transit agency can move beyond responding to isolated service incidents to creating a whole-journey approach from trip planning to final destination.

Some of my own research has touched on rider experience evaluation, station area design, and data-driven transit performance improvements (see links at the end). Reading through this plan, I was inspired by the depth, practicality, and forward-thinking tone of MTA’s efforts.

Why This Plan Stands Out

The CX Action Plan is not a long-term strategic vision it’s a near-term, action-oriented roadmap. It sets out tangible, implementable initiatives for the coming year that directly respond to rider feedback. This approach makes it feel like a living document something designed to evolve annually with measurable outcomes.

The foundation of the plan rests on extensive rider engagement:

  • 8+ workshops with rider advocacy groups

  • 4,000+ customer satisfaction surveys

  • 120,000+ feedback submissions and complaints

  • 1,300+ one-on-one rider conversations

The result? Eight focus areas that reflect what matters most to riders:

  1. Service Reliability

  2. Safety

  3. Accessibility & Navigation

  4. Transit App Experience

  5. Disruption Communication

  6. Cleanliness & Comfort

  7. Fare Collection

  8. Rider Engagement

Best Practices That Caught My Eye

While many transit agencies address these themes, MTA’s 2025 plan introduces some particularly notable initiatives that combine practicality with innovation. Here are some highlights:

  • Predictive analytics to prevent fleet breakdowns – Using data to identify and fix issues before they impact riders.

  • Live look-in access for bus cameras – Real-time feeds for law enforcement to boost onboard safety.

  • Discrete security incident reporting via app – Allowing riders to text with transit police during incidents without drawing attention.

  • Flexible bus seating for special needs – Designs that better accommodate strollers, carts, and plus-sized riders.

  • Clearer route ladders and improved wayfinding pilots – Making navigation more intuitive, especially for new riders.

  • Standardized shuttle bus disruption management – A consistent, smoother experience when rail service is replaced.

  • CharmPass integration for students and SNAP-linked fare discounts – Expanding equity in fare access.

  • Direct leadership walkthroughs for cleanliness and comfort – Senior staff personally inspecting and acting on rider environment issues.

What MTA is Already Doing Outside This Plan

While the CX Action Plan is impressive, MTA’s commitment to rider experience goes beyond its pages. The agency already has several strong practices in place:

Opportunities for Future Enhancement

No plan is ever “done”—especially in customer experience. Based on MTA’s strong foundation, here are two opportunities for the next iteration:

  1. Deeper in-house personalization – Rider profiles, saved routes, and tailored push updates directly within MTA’s own platforms (not just third-party apps).

  2. Integrated mobility services – Closer MaaS-style integration with micromobility, ridesharing, and other first-/last-mile options, with unified trip planning and payment.

These would take the already impressive “whole-journey” approach to the next level.

Why This Matters to the Industry

The CX Action Plan’s strength lies in its blend of ambition and practicality. It’s not just a list of ideas—it’s a set of actions with timelines and accountability. It also illustrates a larger shift in public transportation: seeing riders not just as passengers, but as customers whose experience shapes system success.

For professionals in transit planning, operations, and policy, there’s a lot to learn from MTA’s approach:

  • Use rider feedback at scale, and in diverse formats.

  • Address the full trip, not just segments.

  • Pair innovation with operational discipline.

  • Keep plans nimble, review annually, and be transparent about progress.

Closing Thoughts

Maryland’s riders are in for a safer, smarter, and more seamless journey. The CX Action Plan sets a standard worth watching—and adapting—for agencies across the country.

As I continue my Mansha’s Mobility Insights series, I’ll be exploring more such reports, distilling what works, and highlighting innovations that can be scaled or adapted.

If you’re involved in rider experience, operations, or transportation policy, this plan is worth a close read. And if you’re in another agency, it’s worth asking: What would our version of this look like?

My Related Research Articles

Tags: #TransitActionPlan #FTA #MTA #MDOT #TransitRiderExperience #TransitBestPractices #Transit #TransitProfessionals #PublicTransportation #CustomerExperience #TransportationProfessionals #UrbanMobility #MultimodalTransportation #manshaswami

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