The 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 Garcetti’s words are from 2018; however, they have only strengthened in truth rather than diminished overtime.
In a year that has been filled with challenges, curveballs, and an unparalleled amount of change, the need for transit agencies to be nimble, adapt quickly, and lean into transit technology and innovation has grown exponentially. In the past, transit leaders managed a variety of vendors to deploy successful services, using specific vendors for specific pieces of the overall puzzle. Prior to COVID-19 the complex nature of this fast growing industry was creating vendor management bottlenecks—bogging down transit managers and agencies in a sea of contracts, emails, and negotiations and keeping key personnel from spending time iterating on their existing operations. Unfortunately, this complexity has only grown. Given the current state of transit and the ever growing complexities, transit managers can’t afford to spend their days navigating this myriad of vendors while simultaneously keeping pace with rapidly changing transit demands.
In short, transit leaders are facing a two-fold challenge: preparing for a future of connected, data-driven systems while simultaneously managing their ongoing operations in the middle of a pandemic. As agencies face a flood of choices about how to manage current operations while adopting data and technology to sustain them into the future, choosing the right partner is crucial. Transit providers need a one-stop-shop vendor—one with both the transit experience and technology expertise, one that has a robust partner ecosystem, one that can not only help them optimize and integrate all current systems from end to end, but help them evolve toward an ideal future. Transit providers need a one-stop-shop vendor who can buoy them through the pandemic and take them into the post-pandemic world; simplifying the ever evolving operations and crystalizing a path forward.
Helping Existing Operations While Guiding Future Strategy
The promise of an advanced, post-pandemic, future state of transit is exciting. However, transit leaders have challenges right now: maintaining existing vehicle fleets, flexing and changing established routes to safely serve their communities, and ensuring safety protocols for drivers and workers alike. Being able to tackle these mandates with a partner who has diverse expertise adds intelligence to every aspect of the operation. Not only can a one-stop-shop vendor make a transit provider’s current system smarter and more efficient, but it frees up valuable resources within the agency to concentrate on the ever changing landscape and the pile of other issues that need to be addressed.
The goal of this type of partnership is to create a symbiotic relationship—the one-stop-shop vendor creates a well-oiled machine for operating transit services and the transit provider gives the one-stop-shop vendor access to learn and coordinate all aspects of a diverse transit system, providing the insight and focus needed to shape the future of transit. In essence, this one-stop-shop vendor is given a first row seat to understanding how a transit agency interacts with all aspects of the system. This information can then be used to shape better, and more efficient softwares and services for the transit provider. This is what we call a win-win.
As transit continues to change at a rapid pace, it’s imperative to find a one-stop-shop partner who can not only see you through the here and now but grow with you into the future. Finding a partner who is able to work alongside you to design, operate, and optimize one’s system in a holistic manner will be paramount to the success and longevity of these services. To learn more about how TransLoc provides a one-stop-shop solution for transit providers, simply reach out.