The Hop Employs Demand Response Software to Increase Service Without Adding Drivers
Company Size
1,000+
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- TripSpark Demand Response Software Suite
- Ranger In-Vehicle Mobile Data Console
Tech Stack
- ITS Solution
- Paratransit Scheduling/Dispatching Software
- Real-Time Messaging System
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Customer Satisfaction
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
- Functional Applications - Fleet Management Systems (FMS)
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Industries
- Cities & Municipalities
- Transportation
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases
- Fleet Management
- Predictive Maintenance
- Remote Asset Management
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The Hop is operated by Hill Country Transit District. It began operation in the 1960s to provide both fixed route public transit as well as ADA complementary paratransit service for citizens and visitors of the Central Texas area. Their mandate then, as it is now, is to provide mobility and quality of life, leading to a stimulation of economic development. Over the past 50 years, the Hop has grown to serve a nine-county area covering over 9,000 square miles. With so much territory to cover and the increase in ridership demands for their paratransit service, the Hop has scheduling needs that require constant supervision and attention. Attention to detail is very important to their planners and especially to their Technical Manager, Luis Pino, who became instrumental in the deployment of an ITS solution in 2008.
The Challenge
When the Hop began operation in the 60s, and onward through the 90s, they were still entering information in Excel spreadsheets. Information regarding trips (i.e.: locations, addresses, pick up times, number of miles traveled, etc.) was entered manually on clip boards. A driver’s location was determined over the radio. The whole operation was time-consuming, error-prone and generally inefficient. Service was undependable at times, leading to complaints, which in turn was also slow when it came to complaint resolution. As ridership demands increased, they desperately needed a solution to help them increase the number of trips. However, because operational costs are a priority as well, they also needed to minimize the amount of drivers they hired. Integrating the Hop’s paratransit service with its fixed route service was also a priority that needed attention. Having the two halves working together was integral to being able to move all types of passengers, from daily commuters to those with special accessibility and mobility requirements.
The Solution
In 2008, Luis was part of the team that implemented a new ITS solution. This included a paratransit scheduling/dispatching component in the form of TripSpark’s demand response software suite. The ruggedized Ranger (in-vehicle mobile data console) was installed in vehicles, which helped to support the data collection software and communication needs of their paratransit fleet. This solution helped immediately to enable same-day scheduling, electronic manifests, and real-time messaging. The Hop can now automate data collection and driver scheduling in order to use their resources more effectively. They have been able to achieve their goal of increasing the number of runs without the budgetary stress of adding new drivers. Their employees experience faster scheduling, while their riders experience faster connections. The complaint process has also been streamlined, affording staff more time to deal with issues of greater priority. The overall result is a greater attention to detail. As Luis describes it, if “we needed to add a trip, we had to radio our drivers to see who was closest to the pickup location.” Now, the same day scheduling capability assigns the right vehicle to the right location without the need to use a radio at all.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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