In recent years, the public transit industry has seen a significant trend toward establishing formal Customer Experience (CX) programs, with over 60 U.S. transit agencies creating programs to better understand rider needs, instill a customer-first approach to their services, and build ridership and community support. However, the rapid adoption of these programs has occurred without industry-wide standards, leading to a wide variety of organizational models and approaches.

TCRP Synthesis 187: Transit Agency Customer Experience Programs, produced by TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program, identifies emerging practices within transit agency CX programs across key themes, including program design, organizational structure, and performance measurement. In addition to results from an industry scan and survey, the report includes five case examples and highlights how CX programs are evolving within the transit industry, becoming a distinct professional specialization that increasingly relies on integrated data, performance measurement, and multidisciplinary collaboration. The report addresses the importance of strategic planning, investment, and the use of an “Influence Model” to guide CX initiatives. It also finds that CX programs are delivering measurable improvements for riders, and it identifies gaps and opportunities for future research to strengthen program effectiveness and advance the field.

Infrastructure Assets: Transit Assets
Resource Types: Research Report
Capabilities: Communication, Data & Information Systems, Tools & Technology
Management Processes: Monitoring & Adjustment, Performance Based Planning & Programming, Performance Reporting & Communication, Strategic Direction, Target Setting