TransLoc Blog
Advancing Mobility.
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September 21, 2021Blackberry was unveiled in 1999. Millions of dollars went into developing and advertising this popular device, and we saw them in the hands of many savvy consumers for over... -
September 15, 2021Shortly after the major news outlets made it official and named Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, his campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon shared a...
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September 8, 2021Do you find the idea of using social media to reach your riders daunting? You’re not the only one. With the rapid increase in social media use over the last...
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September 7, 2021On a brisk morning last May, Sunny Madra, vice president of Ford’s accelerator program, left his Manhattan apartment to catch a plane to San Francisco. After unsuccessfully trying to...
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September 1, 2021In the past, transit systems were built to provide an efficient, balanced supply of transportation that met the needs of the mass population. Today, private transportation network companies (TNCs) offer...
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August 31, 2021The Transit Utopia may no longer be exclusive to the dreamers. On August 11th, Tyler Means and Austin Stanion — two of our AICP-certified planning and design strategists — partnered...
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August 26, 2021While the onset of COVID-19 brought life to a standstill, many aspects of life continue to experience change as communities begin moving again. Last month, TransLoc polled 1,200 American transit...
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August 25, 2021Experts predict that we are on the cusp of a transit evolution led by smart technology and data-driven planning. But how do the people who use these services everyday feel...
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August 23, 2021Women have a sixth sense; an awareness developed overtime that keeps us out of harm’s way. Like a computer program running on autopilot, we are constantly scanning our environment...
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August 16, 2021Are you launching a new fixed-route/on-demand transit service or looking to increase ridership for your existing services? Have you considered how you will get riders’ attention? At TransLoc, we recognize...
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August 11, 2021When a TransLoc employee says that “TransLoc is a family,” it's an expression that carries a deeper meaning to Megan Wilson and Ally Hatfield. In January 2017, Megan joined TransLoc’s...
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August 10, 2021The Senate has passed the largest ever federal investment in public transit: a $550 billion infrastructure package that improves transportation, internet and water/power systems to “grow the economy, enhance...
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August 2, 2021Agency-owned microtransit provides the flexibility and accessibility that today’s transit riders crave. When paired with a fixed-route service and optimized by smart data, transit agencies can benefit from reduced...
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July 28, 2021Students are counting down the days until college and universities open for learning in the fall semester. Likewise, the hundreds of campus departments and services at every university are...
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July 27, 2021Transit professionals at 5,300+ U.S. universities and colleges are preparing for the return of in-person learning in the fall semester. Many university administrators are relying on new sanitation procedures,...
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July 26, 2021Electrifying our existing transportation network has clear benefits, ranging from reduced climate impacts to improved public health outcomes especially in urban areas. However, our collective excitement to “go electric”...
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July 22, 2021Prologue: Yesterday, we launched the first of two special episodes of The Movement Podcast showcasing challenges that people with disabilities face to access mobility and what can be done...
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July 21, 2021The questions circling the future of public transit have put transit professionals in a precarious position. How will you predict the level of service needed to meet the demands...
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July 20, 2021Transit professionals around the country joined in a collective sigh of relief with the passing of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), and its $30 billion in funding for...
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July 15, 2021We believe in magic because “we are the magic,” as our team loves to say. We are the Client Implementation department: the landing spot for TransLoc’s new customers and projects....
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July 9, 2021The U.S. and Europe have vastly different public transit systems. The accessibility and affordability of Europe’s robust public transit system is in contrast to the U.S., which, at best,...
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July 7, 2021As we continue to heal from the pandemic, public transit agencies find themselves at the intersection of efficiency and risk mitigation. A great transit system is a reliable one. When...
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June 28, 2021It’s a noisy world and everyone (and every thing) is clamoring for our attention. This rings true for transit riders. They’re responding to emails, listening to podcasts like [shameless...
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June 23, 2021Well, I wish I could regale you with a grand, fantasy-filled story of being a little girl on a farm in rural Eastern North Carolina who wanted nothing more...
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June 21, 2021As airports bounce back from 2020’s record-low airline passengers while juggling new operational challenges, as well as passenger and employee expectations for a clean and safe air travel experience,...
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June 15, 2021After four years of talk, Infrastructure Week became a "catch-all term" meant to offer empty promises to the American people. From the beginning of 2017, there were talks of...
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June 14, 2021As we all know, COVID-19 had a dramatic impact on public transit ridership. According to a report prepared for the American Public Transportation Association, public transit ridership fell 79%...
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June 8, 2021Health is everything. If that wasn’t clear before, then the COVID-19 pandemic made it crystal. The absence of a healthy body and mind robs people of life’s greatest joys. The...
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May 26, 2021We started Planning & Design Services with a simple notion: to build a genuine, supportive partnership with our clients that helps them address the unique mobility problems in their...
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May 19, 2021The past 50 years for transit innovation have been relatively stagnant. Community development in the United States since World War II is best defined with two words: urban sprawl....
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May 18, 2021Prior to my kids learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, I had never heard of asynchronous learning: a term used to define learning that happens at different times...
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May 17, 2021As with most industries these days, transit is evolving. Technologies are emerging, new mobility options are becoming available, and people are moving more freely than ever before. From bikeshares...
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May 12, 2021Public transportation is an essential part of the economic and social development within communities. The complexity of offering safe and efficient public transportation means that transit agencies are constantly trying...
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May 5, 2021Across the country, we are seeing businesses open their doors, foot traffic filling up downtown sidewalks, and communities reuniting after far too many months apart. Recovery, better yet, healing,...
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May 4, 2021May is National Military Appreciation Month—a time of appreciation for the United States military personnel, past and present, who serve our country. Many servicemen and women use the skills they...
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April 30, 2021If you’re not familiar with paratransit, you should be. As a special transportation service for people with disabilities, paratransit is often provided as a supplement to fixed-route bus and rail...
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April 4, 2021If you're familiar with public transit planning or technology, you've probably run into the acronym "GTFS" at least a few times. You may have heard mention of the terms...
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March 12, 2021Let's start with the benefits of public transit I’ve always enjoyed the many benefits that come from using public transit. I got to ride my bike to the bus stop,...
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March 8, 2021What a year. We’ve been so busy simply surviving and getting through the day-to-day of a socially-distanced quarantine life, it’s hard to believe COVID-19 has been a part of...
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February 9, 2021International Day of Women and Girls in Science is this Thursday, February 11th. It’s a celebration of the vital role that women play in advancing science and technology. Girls...
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February 4, 2021Public transportation in the United States is currently in a state of crisis. A shock to no one, the COVID pandemic - and the associated changes in how we...
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January 21, 2021Our transportation system is evolving, and the year 2020 forced an unparalleled rate of change. Falling transit ridership and soaring automobile sales have led some to predict the end...
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December 18, 2020What does 2021 have in store for transportation? We don't have a crystal ball, but our solutions engineers have a strong pulse on the industry and have made their...
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December 16, 2020The COVID-19 pandemic has driven home the vital role public transit plays in our communities, bringing healthcare professionals to the frontlines, delivering groceries and medicine to at-risk populations, and...
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December 1, 2020Most planners have an aspiration toward placemaking: we dream of quaint public squares where residents can walk to local businesses as streetcars hum past tree-lined sidewalks. We dream of...
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November 24, 2020After losing his wife and daughter in a car crash in 1972, newly-elected US Senator Joe Biden famously took Amtrak home from Washington DC to Wilmington, Delaware almost every...
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November 23, 2020During the last week of October I attended the Rail~Volution transit conference. While the sessions were timely, insightful and thought-provoking, I couldn’t help but notice the eight-ton elephant in...
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November 19, 2020The One-Stop-Shop Approach to Transit Management “The next generation of transformative transportation is here in front of us...This is the age of acceleration.” - Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti LA Mayor Eric...
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November 17, 2020At TransLoc, a big piece of our mission has and will continue to be providing users with an equitable transit experience. This commitment has driven our investment in building...
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November 16, 2020At the start of 2020, the transit industry was positioned to enhance all of the tools in its already existing arsenal - smart partnerships, technology, data expertise and more...
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October 16, 2020TransLoc is committed to equitable transportation. When we saw a need within communities where constituents rely on public transportation to reach the polls, we decided to act. Voting is...
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October 13, 2020You say you want a revolutionWell, you knowWe all want to change the worldYou tell me that it's evolutionWell, you knowWe all want to change the world In 1968, John...
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September 30, 2020The LA Times published an opinion piece arguing that the freeways of Los Angeles are California’s largest monuments to racism. The author outlines how freeways were intentionally built through...
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September 3, 2020“Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me…” Growing up, I heard these words every week at the end of church. And, as these things tend...
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August 25, 2020As students return to campus this Fall, we know the main concern is safety. The goal is to keep students, faculty and drivers safe, while providing timely and efficient...
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August 11, 2020There’s no shortage of facts, opinions and meeting notes about innovation. Everyone wants to do it, but most are not successful. In fact, HBR research suggests that nearly 90%...
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August 7, 2020As our nation continues to navigate the changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, we took an opportunity to survey our customers and hear firsthand the daily challenges and obstacles...
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July 9, 2020"The most commonly cited standard is 400m or ¼ mile." – Jarrett Walker, Human Transit What is public transit’s first-mile/last-mile (FM/LM) problem? It begins with a...
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July 7, 2020We’ve all experienced trying times, but living through a global pandemic has presented a multitude of new and unique challenges that have affected several aspects of our personal and...
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June 20, 2020This content was originally published on MeetingoftheMinds.org. Earlier this month we hosted a live webinar featuring Alex Gibson from TransLoc, and Josh Powers, who is serving as a member of the County...
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May 28, 2020Mobility and transportation have been upended by the COVID-19 crisis. Ridership in major metros across the U.S., Europe, and China has declined 50-90% compared to pre-crisis levels. While stay-at-home...
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May 25, 2020What if improving your physical and mental health was as easy as riding the bus? Breathing fresh air, driving safely, being physically active, and avoiding excessive stress are a few...
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May 5, 2020Transit is evolving. Ever since the first time someone said “maybe there’s a better way than just relying on my own two feet," humankind has sought to move faster,...
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April 24, 2020In light of COVID-19, we want to ensure our customers are taken care of and know the resources available within our applications to help navigate these times of uncertainty....
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April 8, 2020As is often the case in a calamity, the reason for the calamity and the barrier to success has not been a technical one, but instead one of leadership....
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April 2, 2020Transit agencies around the country are committed to providing essential services to their riders while ensuring the highest level of safety for all as they continue to operate during...
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March 27, 2020Given all that has been going on with the COVID-19 fallout, how do we now effectively cope in this VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world with such a high...
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March 17, 2020Navigating a crisis can be difficult, especially as providers of a public good. Here are 6 tips to help you get through a crisis: Identify your stakeholders. These people should be...
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March 12, 2020In Response to Growing Concern Around Coronavirus in Research Triangle Park Community Effective immediately, Durham-based transportation technology company, TransLoc, has initiated an indefinite work from home policy in response to...
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February 11, 2020Well, we just hit a year’s worth of weekly episodes of The Movement Podcast. What a year. I’m so grateful for the things I’ve learned, the guests that have...
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December 12, 2019CoMotion Los Angeles was billed as “The Global Laboratory of Future Mobility.” This lofty, aspirational idea turned out to be more than just a toothless marketing tagline, as the...
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November 25, 2019As I wait on the dock for the boat ride from my hotel over to the Magic Kingdom to see Disney World for the first time, a grey-haired skipper...
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November 12, 2019There are many reasons why TransLoc is a great place to work. From a culture that encourages living your best life inside and outside of work, to promoting empowerment,...
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October 28, 2019Another great APTA Annual meeting has come and gone, but not without leaving us with a wealth of knowledge to mull over. This year’s meeting was hosted in the...
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October 14, 2019Over the last five years, the Kansas City area has been a hotbed of innovation for transportation. This includes consolidating fixed-route and paratransit into a single regional service and...
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October 3, 2019It’s been a few weeks since I was at the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Designing Cities 2019 Conference, but I am still riding the energy waves...
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September 23, 2019It’s an exciting time at TransLoc. Not only are we changing the way the world views public transportation, but our parent company Ford Mobility recently acquired Journey Holding Corporation,...
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September 19, 2019On my way to attend Rail~Volution last week in Vancouver, British Columbia, I finished Robert Kurson’s excellent new book “Rocket Men.” The book tells the true story of NASA’s...
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September 9, 2019In my first job after college, I walked to work every day. At that time, I worked at the UNC General Alumni Association, in the heart of the Carolina...
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August 26, 2019Today we celebrate the ratification of the 19th amendment to the United States’ constitution giving women the right to vote. While voting is arguably one of the greatest equalizers...
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August 19, 2019Last week several members of the TransLoc team traveled to New York City for the 2019 ACT International Conference. This year’s conference brought together over 650 professionals from across...
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August 15, 2019A TechCrunch article from May offers a simple, clairvoyant thesis about the future of the auto industry: “Automakers have a choice: become data companies or become irrelevant.” The message...
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August 13, 2019“You have to understand the makeup of Montgomery County and how much area we’re serving. We could no longer afford to put fixed route services in those areas, but...
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August 6, 2019“Existing urban transit modes can continue to operate, but today citizens demand more than simply expanding old systems. They have access to smartphone apps and flexible ride options that...
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August 5, 2019I grew up on 10 forested acres of land on the side of a mountain on the outskirts of the western North Carolina city of Asheville. My parents built...
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July 31, 2019This is probably one of the most exciting things that's happened in public transit in my lifetime. We're creating the future." - Mayor Jeffry Wosje, Plymouth, Minnesota. Midsize metropolitan areas...
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July 20, 2019Biking! It’s exercise. It extends your lifespan and makes you happier. It is better for the environment and your community. It is more affordable than private car use, and...
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July 11, 2019“This new transit option empowers customers to make the choice that works best for them. It’s customer-driven transit.” -Robbie Makinen, President and CEO of Kansas City Area Transportation Authority {{cta('fc3dc8be-638b-4153-b232-e894b447ce67','justifycenter')}} TransLoc...
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July 3, 2019Ann Arbor is a bustling, vibrant town, sporting an exciting blend of campus, commercial, and community life. With the University of Michigan practically growing directly out from the city...
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June 24, 2019Over the past 15 years TransLoc has worked with campus parking and transportation departments across the United States. In this time we’ve had exposure to very unique environments -...
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June 17, 2019“Company culture” is a phrase thrown around the internet quite often these days. Organizations are competing for the best employees in a fairly tight talent market, and “culture” is...
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June 12, 2019Uber was founded ten years ago, and has long since become a household word. The widespread adoption of TNCs (Transportation Network Companies) like Uber and Lyft has disrupted mobility...
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June 5, 2019The fundamental role of public transit is to provide access. According to the American Public Transit Association, almost half of the 10 billion annual trips on public transit are...
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May 30, 2019The Big Ten and Friends Parking and Transportation Conference provided an intimate setting of roughly 100 attendees at Iowa State University (ISU). In addition to learning about and discussing...
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May 29, 2019Technology and partnerships are critical to making access to jobs, healthcare, and entertainment available to anyone who needs it. At the APTA Mobility Conference, there were numerous breakout sessions and...
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May 22, 2019Transportation is doing a deep dive on finding ways to implement industry innovation while keeping the rider at the center of the conversation. This month, TransLoc's business development team...
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May 20, 2019After four years in marketing and graphic design, I enrolled in code school and decided to pivot to software development. While I was ready for the challenge, I faced...
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May 13, 2019At the end of April, the TransLoc team attended the 35th Annual CalACT conference in Coronado, California. We met with innovative transit agencies looking to improve their systems and...
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May 1, 2019Have you ever ridden a train on Thanksgiving weekend?Does your commute home begin at 5 p.m.?Do you know someone who isn’t sure how they’ll get to their next doctor’s...
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April 22, 2019Traditionally, when people think about Earth Day the first image that comes to mind is planting a tree. Thanks to the growing awareness around the rising impacts of climate...
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April 19, 2019What is the most important indicator of an effective team? At TransLoc, we believe psychological safety is critical to the success of Agile teams. Agile has been deeply supported by...
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April 9, 2019Transforming Mobility and Redesigning Our Future was the theme of this year’s Ohio Needs Transit conference. The annual conference is run by the Ohio Public Transit Association (OPTA), and...
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April 1, 2019As I’ve spent the last several months framing out what would become The Movement Podcast, I found that the most valuable thing I could do was share my ideas...
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March 25, 2019At the recent National Shared Mobility Summit, Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter introduced the keynote speaker, former US Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, now Chief Policy Officer...
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March 20, 2019Earlier this month our team traveled to Chicago, IL for the 2019 National Shared Mobility Summit. Every year the Summit brings together mobility leaders who are exploring options to...
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March 12, 2019Recently, a few members from TransLoc’s marketing team hopped on a plane to head to New Orleans for the 2019 APTA Marketing & Communications Workshop. This intensive and interactive...
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March 8, 2019Hear from Lauren Marks, Executive Director of The Exceptional Foundation of Atlanta, about how a microtransit service in Gwinnett County, GA is providing service for an exceptional group. I am...
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March 5, 2019TransLoc welcomes AICP-certified planner Tyler Means to the team as Senior Project Manager. Tyler comes from one of TransLoc’s transit agency partners, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), where...
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February 21, 2019Just about a year ago, TransLoc was acquired by Ford Smart Mobility. After spending the bulk of my professional career working at TransLoc in a bootstrapped and then VC...
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February 20, 2019As of today, we’re two weeks away from the 2019 National Shared Mobility Summit, and we're excited! The TransLoc team is ready to join thinkers and doers in exploring how...
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February 11, 2019Elaine McVey, TransLoc’s Municipal Market business owner, and I exchanged glances as we left a lunch meeting. We had just spent an hour listening to the struggles of two...
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February 4, 2019Today marks 106 years since Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. She has been recognized by the United States Congress as the “First Lady of Civil Rights” and...
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January 24, 2019It’s that time of the year again when the headlines hitting the news are full of hyperbole and dubious practicality generated from the annual paean to the newest technology,...
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December 14, 2018The Triangle region of North Carolina where I live recently learned that we struck out on two coveted high-tech campuses: a huge Apple campus (Austin was the eventual winner) and...
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December 11, 2018There is no exact science to predicting the future of any industry, but the transit trajectory seems to be particularly mystifying and exciting. While the surge of change we’ve...
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November 13, 2018In last week’s midterm elections, voters enthusiastically supported transportation issues. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), “Voters passed 17 of 20 transportation-related ballot measures—an approval rate of...
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November 12, 2018Jamie Howard is not only TransLoc’s Director of Engineering, he is a passionate advocate for assimilating military veterans into the civilian workforce. Howard served with both the US Army...
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November 9, 2018My early morning runs take me from my sleepy, dark neighborhood streets out to the comparatively brighter main roads before I end up in downtown Durham, surrounded by bright...
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October 1, 2018TransLoc hosted a conversation about agency-owned microtransit at the APTA 2018 Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee with (left to right) Josh Cohen, TransLoc National Director of Policy; Kimberlee Morton, CEO of Norwalk Transit...
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March 29, 2018Staged annually in the Windy City, the National Shared Mobility Summit focuses on the discussion and exploration of the latest developments in car-sharing, shared autonomous and electric vehicles, bike-sharing,...
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February 13, 2018Microtransit, as a transportation mode, is a fairly new concept, which means agencies frequently encounter barriers to implementation: an unfamiliar service approach, difficulty identifying and conveying need, missing data,...
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January 17, 2018The realm of public procurement can be confusing to navigate, which is why we’ve put together this easy-to-follow guide on what each type of procurement request is and when...
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January 4, 2018As a rule, trends are difficult to predict—and the rule definitely applies to transit. From new legislation to groundbreaking technology, there's always something impacting the industry's trajectory. After reading...
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December 13, 2017On November 27, hundreds of neon green bikes and orange bikes descended on downtown Durham. Within hours, the green LimeBikes and orange Spin bikes had migrated towards Ninth Street....
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October 18, 2017While public transportation agencies across the country sent their best and brightest to Atlanta, the weather failed to get the memo. And yet, despite torrential downpours and tropical storm-like...
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October 5, 2017In just a few days, transit industry folks from across the country will converge on Atlanta for this year’s APTA EXPO*. Between the EXPO floor (with over 800 exhibitors from...
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September 26, 2017When TransLoc’s mobile engineering team set out to build the Microtransit apps for iOS and Android, our top priority was to build them in such a way that we could iterate...
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July 10, 2017We’ve heard and read the stories of the horrific commutes many endure to get to and from their jobs: Jourdan Duncan, the teenager in Northern California who walked for...
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May 10, 2017Last week, Bridj made news by shutting its doors. By collecting and using data to create a more demand-driven transit world, Bridj tried to create a “network of express shuttles that...
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April 4, 2017In the U.S., women earn about 76 cents per dollar earned by men on average, but the causes of the gender pay gap are a bit more complicated. Here...
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March 31, 2017Earlier this month, I chaperoned my daughter’s third-grade class on a walking and public transit field trip to explore economic development in downtown Durham. As a working parent, I...
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February 16, 2017Back in April 2016, we published a post explaining how public transit impacts sustainability, but what about the other end of that question: Why should transit agencies aim for sustainable...
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January 21, 2017We’re constantly updating our products at TransLoc. Sometimes we’re adding new features or functionality. Sometimes we’re fixing bugs. But always, we’re striving to make our products more valuable to...
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January 18, 2017We’ve dusted off our crystal ball, and taken a deep look into what 2017 has in store for public transportation. Here are our predictions: More users of public transportation than...
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December 23, 2016Imagine the following scenario: You’re packing up your things after work on a Friday when a text pops up on your phone. A friend has just won tickets to...
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December 9, 2016Faced with the challenge of growing, managing infrastructure and improving the quality of life for residents, today’s cities are under immense pressure. As such, municipalities are embracing the smart...
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November 21, 20163 transit industry experts. 12 questions. 6 key takeaways It’s easy to talk about the future of transit like it’s a far off reality. In truth, advancements in technology, changing...
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November 2, 2016We specialize in solving systemic problems through software, and we’re particularly focused on enhancing mobility for our local Raleigh-Durham community and dozens of others across the country. One of...
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October 12, 2016This article was written in part by TransLoc Senior Account Executive Jimmy Jones. These days, it seems all you need to do is blink and the technology you’ve come to...
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September 30, 2016Last week, we asked our employees (and the world) to leave their car keys at home on September 22, 2016 in celebration of World Car Free Day. For some of...
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September 19, 2016On Sept. 22, consider leaving your car keys at home — on purpose this time. Each year on Sept. 22, cities around the globe celebrate World Car Free Day in...
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September 6, 2016It’s officially September, which means a few things: soon there will be pumpkin spice-flavored everything; weekends will be filled with football; and the last remaining schools are now in...
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August 2, 2016Currently, I’m attending the Association of Commuter Transportation (ACT) Conference in Portland. I’m giving a short presentation tomorrow on how public transit agencies can and should be marketing their...
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August 2, 2016Elon Musk recently released part two of his master plan for Tesla. And predictably, especially for those who have seen Musk’s ability to tackle society’s largest problems, it’s causing some excitement. There’s a...
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July 27, 2016It wasn’t until I had kids that I realized that all vacations aren’t the same. When you have three kids and are heading to the beach with 8 other...
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July 21, 2016It’s been 54 years since the Jetsons (a cartoon show depicting futuristic life in 2062) premiered on ABC, and while we aren’t quite to the point where flying cars...
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July 6, 2016As you may have noticed, there are some major trends in software and data within the transit space happening right now. For the TL;DR version, check out the shortlist...
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May 5, 2016When we formally announced TransLoc OnDemand in late September of last year, we had served 10,000 rides, all of which were handled, well, on-demand. In other words, a rider...
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May 4, 2016It’s been just under 2 months since we launched the Uber integration with TransLoc Rider in the Triangle and Memphis. With TransLoc Rider, users simply enter their destination to...
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April 26, 2016My job is to provide the best marketing and social media support I can to TransLoc and to our customers. Sometimes, that means thinking outside the box. For example,...
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April 7, 2016It was just getting crowded at Los Altos Grill (outside Mountain View, CA) and the live musicians were ready to go on break. Doug (TransLoc’s CEO) and I sat...
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April 1, 2016What are you doing on April 22? As spring is in full bloom, the environmental movement is in full swing celebrating Earth Day. How did this day come to...
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March 15, 2016In my previous post, we looked at 6 unique aspects of Traveler’s survey capability. Now it’s time to break down the incredible potential this survey has to keep getting better....
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March 4, 2016As a transit agency, one of the hardest things to do is keep everyone happy all the time. In fact, it’s practically impossible. But let me tell you a...
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March 3, 2016The nature of the public transit system makes it inherently complex to navigate. With an amalgam of schedules, stops, routes and vehicles, determining the most optimal way to get...
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February 24, 2016In October, TransLoc made it possible for transit agencies to effectively and painlessly get feedback from their riders with a unique in-app survey feature. Unlike anything available in transit,...
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February 23, 2016This is a companion blog post to our webinar The First-Mile/Last-Mile Problem: How Big is it? that took place on February 23, 2016. If you didn’t get a chance...
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February 10, 2016Transit stops and stations don’t have to be boring and overlooked. They can be quite the opposite—fun, functional, whimsical, and beautiful. There are some fantastic transit stops all over...
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February 4, 2016Hello there. My name is Alex Gibson, and I’m a product manager here at TransLoc. Two weeks ago we announced TransLoc’s partnership with Uber and gave a sneak peek...
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January 13, 2016We know you’re curious, so we want to give you a sneak peek at how the TransLoc Rider with Uber integration will work. The best part? It’s as easy...
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December 10, 2015I’ve spent my entire 46-year career in public transportation, seeking to make transit meet the needs of people in communities across the US. I’ve experienced firsthand what it’s like...
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December 2, 2015In early October, I had the pleasure of talking about how people will move in five years at the American Public Transportation Association’s annual meeting. Here at TransLoc, we’re passionate about...
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November 30, 2015Frank Sinatra sang that if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere—that may be true, but I certainly didn’t feel that way after attending...
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November 12, 2015In early October, I had the pleasure of talking about how people will move in five years at the American Public Transportation Association’s annual meeting. Here at TransLoc, we’re passionate about...
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November 6, 2015In early October, I had the pleasure of talking about how people will move in five years at the American Public Transportation Association’s annual meeting. Here at TransLoc, we’re passionate about...
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October 22, 2015In early October, I had the pleasure of talking about how people will move in five years at the American Public Transportation Association’s annual meeting. Here at TransLoc, we’re passionate about...
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September 30, 2015TransLoc OnDemand is a go, people. Get excited about it. No, really. We’ve officially launched with three university Safe Ride programs across the nation and already hit 10,000 rides! The...
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September 28, 2015Sometimes it’s hard to see how actions can affect outcomes, especially when dealing with transit planning. TransLoc Traveler gives agencies the ability to see THE FUTURE. Ok, maybe not....
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September 21, 2015Not everyone gets to be validated in his or her career, in fact, most people never get the chance to hear that what they do affects another person’s life...
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September 1, 2015Today I took the bus to work. This used to be a regular thing for me when I lived in Portland and transit was super accessible. It was also...
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August 26, 2015Spending my days elbow deep in transit data means that I see some strange outliers. They can reflect surprising things that humans do, or they can indicate a problem...
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August 19, 2015Summer is winding down, the leaves are changing color, there is a crispness in the air—millions of students are either returning to or newly matriculating at universities across the...
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August 10, 2015It seems so simple now. Showing moving vehicles actually moving. And it is. But 10 years ago, it wasn’t. 10 years ago, before Uber and the iPhone and Twitter,...
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August 4, 2015Imagine a world where transit responds to demand before it happens. Utilizing our past product technologies combined with a new microtransit focus, we’re one step closer to making this world...
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June 26, 2015We are continuing our mission of making transit the first choice for all by creating a powerful section of Traveler called “Inform.” Inform gives transit administrators the ability to communicate...
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May 7, 2015Technology changes quickly these days and we know as consumers it can be somewhat daunting to stay ahead of the curve. We take our job very seriously when it...
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May 5, 2015Today we’re rolling out custom presets, a feature that makes time filter presets even more powerful. Until now, Traveler has had a pre-made list of useful hour, day, and...
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March 28, 2015I hate my commute. It is easily the worst part of my day, as it is for many Americans. In fact, commuting is associated with the least number of positive emotions...
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March 11, 2015We’ve just added two new features that help round out Time Filtering in TransLoc Traveler. The first is a date range picker. The date range picker gives you the...
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February 17, 2015Since the inception of Traveler, we’ve sought to give you an open door to explore the world of your riders. We’ve had an abundance of great ideas, and not...
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January 28, 2015Since releasing the first version of TransLoc Traveler in November, we’ve been hard at work making improvements and now we’re ready to introduce a couple new features we think...
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April 7, 2014Here’s the skinny: A big thanks to all the constructive feedback we received from our users. We definitely heard you and have been hard at work on TransLoc Rider 1.1. View...
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March 24, 2014Commuter shuttles aren’t just a tech trend. Companies across all industries and regions are seeing real benefits for employers and employees alike. 1) Increased employee productivity and general well-being Down time...
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February 15, 2014Raleigh, NC— If you’re a developer or someone who depends on TransLoc’s OpenAPI, we have an important announcement. As of April 17, 2014, all users of OpenAPI will need...
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September 28, 2013Smartphones are no longer a coveted accessory; rather, they are a reality to be reckoned with. While some transit organizations are adjusting to mobile realities quicker than others, there...
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August 30, 2013The sound you just heard was Congress recessing without passing the 2014 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) funding bill. It’s no secret that transit funding is low, but...
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August 13, 2013Real time bus tracking information is a hugely valuable asset of any transit organization. But, it’s wasted if riders don’t know it’s available. In fact, across our 70 customers,...
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August 6, 2013The age old question of nature vs. nurture exists even in the world of public transit. We already know that the highest use of public transit exists in large,...
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July 30, 2013Investing in real-time bus tracking on your campus is no small decision. So, finding a provider that gives accurate, reliable, accessible service is crucial. But how do you know...
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July 23, 2013Tiger Transit, Auburn University’s transportation system, has a vision to emerge as one of America’s premier university transit systems. And history shows how Tiger Transit has earned their stripes....
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July 16, 2013TransLoc’s mobile real-time transit information is revolutionizing transit not only for the general public, but also for riders with disabilities. Mike Switzer is an orientation and mobility specialist who...
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July 9, 2013When we found out that local transit rider, Catherine Clarke, bought her smartphone specifically to use TransLoc’s mobile app, we had to hear more. So, we reached out to...
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July 3, 2013Real-time passenger information (RTPI) benefits both riders and transit agencies, but oftentimes research focuses on agencies when more emphasis should be placed on riders. Why are individual riders so important? Happy...
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June 18, 2013First impressions play a vital role in the success of any experience, particularly public transportation. One late bus or missed connection can negatively impact a rider’s decision to use...
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June 11, 2013When ridership is remaining steady, Twitter is gaining followers, and customer service complaints are manageable, where’s the problem? Just because things look good from the administration side doesn’t necessarily...
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June 11, 2013Technology continues to transform how people complete life’s most basic of tasks. Now, it’s changing how we park and how we ride. Thanks to the implementation of new monitoring technologies...
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February 14, 2013Duke University has high standards, and when Duke needed rock-solid bus tracking technology, they came to TransLoc. At Duke, the needs were clear. Students wanted visibility, administrators wanted tools to...
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February 12, 2013Powerful transit visibility can help your agency build trust with your riders. With TransLoc, your riders know where you are and when you’re coming. Picture this: It’s January and it’s...
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April 14, 2012After the release of our free iPhone app in April 2010, Android users began clamoring for their own native app. The time is finally here: we have officially removed the “beta”...
September 21, 2021
Give Your Transit Riders a Voice with TransLoc’s Rider Survey
Blog, community engagement, microtransit, on-demand transit, rider feedback, surveys, transit planningBlackberry was unveiled in 1999. Millions of dollars went into developing and advertising this popular device, and we saw them in the hands of many savvy consumers for over a decade. So, why in the world aren’t we seeing them today? ...
September 15, 2021
Editorial: The Mobility Revolution: Let’s Do the Easy Things First
Blog, Equity, infrastructure, public transit, public transportation, transit planningShortly after the major news outlets made it official and named Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, his campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon shared a maxim that is uttered on a regular basis in our household, e...
September 8, 2021
How to Reach Your Riders Using Social Media
Blog, fixed route, Marketing, microtransit, on-demand transit, public transit, safe ride, universityDo you find the idea of using social media to reach your riders daunting? You’re not the only one. With the rapid increase in social media use over the last decade, coupled with new platforms and shifting algorithms, the idea of find...
September 7, 2021
Editorial: The Real Threats to Public Transit (Hint: It’s Not Uber and Lyft)
Blog, Equity, microtransit, on demand, on-demand transportation, public transit, public transportation, transit planningOn a brisk morning last May, Sunny Madra, vice president of Ford’s accelerator program, left his Manhattan apartment to catch a plane to San Francisco. After unsuccessfully trying to hail a cab for 20 minutes, he booked an Uber to JFK ...
September 1, 2021
It’s Your Microtransit: The Importance of Agency-Owned On-Demand Transit
Blog, microtransit, on-demand transit, safe ride, transit planningIn the past, transit systems were built to provide an efficient, balanced supply of transportation that met the needs of the mass population. Today, private transportation network companies (TNCs) offer flexible on-demand microtransit mo...
August 31, 2021
Three Quotes from TransLoc and CoMotion’s Transit Utopia Webinar That Have Us Talking
Blog, accessibility, Equity, public transit, transit planning, urban planningThe Transit Utopia may no longer be exclusive to the dreamers. On August 11th, Tyler Means and Austin Stanion — two of our AICP-certified planning and design strategists — partnered with CoMotion for the webinar Transit Utopia: Where...
August 26, 2021
What Rider Sentiment Tells Us About The Future of Public Transit
Blog, Equity, infrastructure, public transportation, rider surveys, ridership, transit planningWhile the onset of COVID-19 brought life to a standstill, many aspects of life continue to experience change as communities begin moving again. Last month, TransLoc polled 1,200 American transit riders about their pre-pandemic and curren...
August 25, 2021
Four Lessons We Learned About the Needs of Today’s Public Transit Rider
Blog, Equity, funding, infrastructure, public transportation, transit planningExperts predict that we are on the cusp of a transit evolution led by smart technology and data-driven planning. But how do the people who use these services everyday feel about public transit’s current state and emerging trends? In Ju...
August 23, 2021
Editorial: What More Can Public Transit Do to Keep Women Safe?
Blog, Equity, public transit, public transportation, safe transit, transit planning, women's safetyWomen have a sixth sense; an awareness developed overtime that keeps us out of harm’s way. Like a computer program running on autopilot, we are constantly scanning our environment to avoid external threats. Public transit provides freed...
August 16, 2021
How to Market Your Transit Services
Blog, fixed route, Marketing, microtransit, on-demand transit, public transit, safe ride, universityAre you launching a new fixed-route/on-demand transit service or looking to increase ridership for your existing services? Have you considered how you will get riders’ attention? At TransLoc, we recognize that the success of your servi...
August 11, 2021
Transit is a Family Business
Blog, careers, culture, Equity, people, TransLocWhen a TransLoc employee says that “TransLoc is a family,” it’s an expression that carries a deeper meaning to Megan Wilson and Ally Hatfield. In January 2017, Megan joined TransLoc’s Morgan, Utah office as a senior account manager...
August 10, 2021
Editorial: What the $550 Billion Infrastructure Bill Means for Public Transit
Blog, Equity, funding, infrastructure, public transportation, transit planningThe Senate has passed the largest ever federal investment in public transit: a $550 billion infrastructure package that improves transportation, internet and water/power systems to “grow the economy, enhance competitiveness, create goo...
August 2, 2021
How to Select Your First Microtransit Service
Blog, microtransit, on-demand transit, safe ride, transit planningAgency-owned microtransit provides the flexibility and accessibility that today’s transit riders crave. When paired with a fixed-route service and optimized by smart data, transit agencies can benefit from reduced expenses while mainta...
July 28, 2021
12 Brilliant Marketing Ideas for University On-Demand Transit
Blog, Marketing, microtransit, on-demand transit, safe ride, university, university transportationStudents are counting down the days until college and universities open for learning in the fall semester. Likewise, the hundreds of campus departments and services at every university are all strategizing on how to vie for their attenti...
July 27, 2021
University Transportation’s Role in Restoring the Campus Community
Blog, electric buses, electrification, emissions, public transit, transit planning, urban planningTransit professionals at 5,300+ U.S. universities and colleges are preparing for the return of in-person learning in the fall semester. Many university administrators are relying on new sanitation procedures, vaccine requirements, and hy...
July 26, 2021
Electrification Will Not Move Us Far Enough
Blog, electric buses, electrification, emissions, public transit, transit planning, urban planningElectrifying our existing transportation network has clear benefits, ranging from reduced climate impacts to improved public health outcomes especially in urban areas. However, our collective excitement to “go electric” may be disgui...
July 22, 2021
Addressing the Barriers to the Freedom of Movement for All
Blog, accessibility, Equity, public transit, transit planning, urban planningPrologue: Yesterday, we launched the first of two special episodes of The Movement Podcast showcasing challenges that people with disabilities face to access mobility and what can be done to improve it. You can catch that episode here. 0000...
July 21, 2021
How Sharp Financial Acumen Can Loosen the Grip on Local Transit Budgets
Blog, funding, public transit, transit planning, urban planningThe questions circling the future of public transit have put transit professionals in a precarious position. How will you predict the level of service needed to meet the demands of your riders? How fast will the demand for ridership come...
July 20, 2021
Editorial: Can the American Rescue Plan Save Transit from Itself?
Blog, accessibility, american rescue plan, Equity, public transit, transit planning, urban planningTransit professionals around the country joined in a collective sigh of relief with the passing of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), and its $30 billion in funding for transportation. After more than a year of facing budgets deep in th...
July 15, 2021
The Magic of Transit Hardware and Software Implementation
Blog, public transit, software, technology, transit planning, transit technologyWe believe in magic because “we are the magic,” as our team loves to say. We are the Client Implementation department: the landing spot for TransLoc’s new customers and projects. The moment the ink on the contract dries, we take a ...
July 9, 2021
Editorial: Fixing Transit Requires Grappling with Racism
Blog, accessibility, Equity, public transit, transit planning, urban planningThe U.S. and Europe have vastly different public transit systems. The accessibility and affordability of Europe’s robust public transit system is in contrast to the U.S., which, at best, is convenient and expensive in major cities and ...
July 7, 2021
Reimagining Public Transportation Safety after COVID-19
Blog, COVID-19, public transit, transit planningAs we continue to heal from the pandemic, public transit agencies find themselves at the intersection of efficiency and risk mitigation. A great transit system is a reliable one. When COVID-19 swept across the country, transit systems ha...
June 28, 2021
Boost Your Transit Marketing Assets with TransLoc’s Marketing Services’ Principles of Design
Blog, Design, Marketing, public transportation, transit planningIt’s a noisy world and everyone (and every thing) is clamoring for our attention. This rings true for transit riders. They’re responding to emails, listening to podcasts like [shameless plug alert] The Movement Podcast, checking text...
June 23, 2021
My Fantastical Journey as a Woman in Engineering
Blog, diversity, engineering, Equity, technologyWell, I wish I could regale you with a grand, fantasy-filled story of being a little girl on a farm in rural Eastern North Carolina who wanted nothing more than to realize her dream of becoming an engineer whose days were filled with wri...
June 21, 2021
Let’s Get Smart About Airport Ground Mobility
Blog, infrastructure, public transit, transit planningAs airports bounce back from 2020’s record-low airline passengers while juggling new operational challenges, as well as passenger and employee expectations for a clean and safe air travel experience, the time for smart airports to take...
June 15, 2021
Finally, It’s Infrastructure Week in the U.S.
Blog, infrastructure, public transit, transit planningAfter four years of talk, Infrastructure Week became a “catch-all term” meant to offer empty promises to the American people. From the beginning of 2017, there were talks of bipartisan efforts to rebuild America’s highways, bridges, ra...
June 14, 2021
Accelerating Public Transit’s Recovery with Scenario Planning
Blog, COVID-19, public transit, transit planningAs we all know, COVID-19 had a dramatic impact on public transit ridership. According to a report prepared for the American Public Transportation Association, public transit ridership fell 79% nationally compared to 2019 levels as a resu...
June 7, 2021
Inequitable Public Transit: A Detriment to Community Health
Blog, Equity, public transitHealth is everything. If that wasn’t clear before, then the COVID-19 pandemic made it crystal. The absence of a healthy body and mind robs people of life’s greatest joys. 0000...
May 26, 2021
A New Philosophy on Transit Planning and Design
Blog, Planning & Design, urban planningWe started Planning & Design Services with a simple notion: to build a genuine, supportive partnership with our clients that helps them address the unique mobility problems in their communities. 0000...
May 19, 2021
The New Transit: Unifying Fixed-Route and On-Demand Services
Blog, Fixed-Route Transit, microtransit, mobility, on-demand transitThe past 50 years for transit innovation have been relatively stagnant. Community development in the United States since World War II is best defined with two words: urban sprawl. Streets, houses, and commercial buildings are constructed...