BEworks and BEAR hosted a Nudge-a-thon that invited the public to come together in teams and design nudges to reduce transit fare evasion in cities.  The one-day event brought teams of 4-6 people together to develop (1) a behavioural solution and (2) the outline of an experiment that could be used to test that solution. 

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The top team recieved a prize of $5000

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For additional information, please visit our FAQ page

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Topic Background

Transit fare evaders are a problem faced by public transit in cities across the world. A ride typically costs less than a cup of coffee, but people are willing to break the law and risk significant penalty in the process of fare evasion. In Toronto fare evasion is estimated to cost around $20 million a year in lost revenue. In London, UK the cost is estimated at over €60 million. Fare evasion places a significant burden on our transit systems. Smart, integrated public transit networks of metro and bus lines are increasingly important as traffic congestion and pollution burden cities with extraordinary costs and consequences.

We know that decisions to “free ride” are not the result of a simple cost-benefit analysis, giving us the opportunity to impact fare evasion using psychological nudges. In order to support the growth of public transit, the seemingly socially acceptable practice of fare evasion needs to be curbed. Together, we can leverage behavioral science to do just that.

#BEnudgeathon

2017 Winning Team: Nudge Judy

Team Members

Mohsin Bin Latheef (Rotman MBA Candidate 2018)

Jane Poon (Rotman MBA Candidate 2018)

Natalie Eckler (Rotman MBA Candidate 2018)

Katie Chen (Ivey HBA Candidate 2019)

Anjeli Kruytbosch (Rotman B.Com Candidate 2018)

About the Nudge-a-thon