Share on Social

University Transit systems present the perfect conditions for the changing attitudes about mobility

October 6, 2015 – DURHAM, NC — Universities have long been the epicenter of innovation and cultural change. As our collective attitudes toward transit, transportation and personal mobility evolve, universities are poised to drive yet another cultural and technological revolution. Campus is the perfect environment to advance these changes – a connected community of tech-savvy people actively choosing to utilize transit and other alternatives and becoming less reliant on personal vehicles.

University transit providers are well positioned to drive meaningful change and pave the way for a new era of mobility solutions. They are generally more nimble than their municipal counterparts and they have a rider-focused mandate because mobility, convenience, and student safety play critical roles in recruiting and retention. Add the fact that students’ technical expectations have been forever altered by the convenience and simplicity of Uber and Lyft, and university transit systems find themselves at an important crossroads.

With today’s release of TransLoc OnDemand, university transit providers finally have a complete, automated, mobile-centric solution that meets the needs of students and simplifies the process.

The first of its kind, TransLoc OnDemand provides an Uber-like mobile experience for passengers and drivers, while giving transit administrators the most effective platform to operate a state-of-the-art demand-response system. Within a single interface, passengers can see all available fixed route options and request on demand rides with a single click. Drivers are guided along the most efficient route and no longer have to coordinate pickup locations while on the move. OnDemand’s fully-automated dispatch and smart ridesharing capabilities bring new levels of efficiency and have proven to help agencies provide more rides, drive fewer miles, and reduce Safe Ride operating expenses.

OnDemand has recently been deployed at select universities where the results are exceeding even the most optimistic expectations, ushering in the new era of mobility and transit technology.

New York University recently replaced their existing system with OnDemand to run their point-to-point Safe Ride program in Manhattan. In the first month the number of passengers served per day has increased by 32% and rider wait times have decreased by 15%. In addition, and perhaps most impressive, these improvements were obtained without adding a single vehicle or driver to their existing safe ride program. “The adoption of the app to reserve a Safe Ride is rapidly moving from a novelty to a norm. This is freeing up the dispatcher to provide better service,” said Greg Rivas, Transportation Services Manager at NYU “[For administrators] the real-time reporting is very helpful in making decisions quickly.”

Emory University recently upgraded their safe ride program using TransLoc OnDemand. Within a month the number of rides given per week has gone up 53%, and inbound dispatcher calls have gone down 49%. Like NYU, the gains at Emory have been achieved without increasing the number of miles driven or adding a single new vehicle to the system. “The central problem was providing passengers with a safe, cost-effective Safe Ride system in an age where many were opting to use other sources such as Uber,” said Paul Reeves, Business Operations Manager at Emory University, “We value our partnership with TransLoc and we look forward to more years of success.”

TransLoc OnDemand is helping university transit officials do more with less. OnDemand makes it possible to provide more rides, satisfy more passengers, and surpass technical expectations; all while driving fewer miles and reducing overall safe ride expenses. “OnDemand brings fixed-route service together with an Uber-like experience that’s delivered by the transit agencies themselves,” said TransLoc CEO, Dr. Doug Kaufman “As a result, not only are more riders choosing to take transit, but agencies are delivering more rides more efficiently, without adding vehicles or drivers.”

 ###

About TransLoc

TransLoc is taking transit from last resort for some to first choice for all, creating Mass Transit 2.0. Since 2004 TransLoc has led the industry with innovative technology that transforms the way we interact with transit, and was honored by the White House in 2013 with a Champions of Change award for their leadership in rider-facing transit technology. Learn more at www.TransLoc.com

Contact

SHIFT Communications for TransLoc
Meg Brenner
TransLoc@shiftcomm.com
617-779-1800