In the last year, Connexionz says it has launched six new systems for small and medium transit agencies, including agencies located in Yamhill County, Ore., and Stanislaus County, Calif.
For Yamhill County Transit, Connexionz delivered an economical approach for a real-time system. Software for vehicle operators along with fixed-route management software for the dispatch office were deployed onto tablets already owned by the agency. Yamhill County Transit purchased the system for a capital expense of less than $100,000 for nearly 20 buses and launched in late 2019. Although Yamhill County Transit's initial purchase was small, they are growing the system by adding integrated ADA compliant automatic annunciation systems and engine diagnostics to new buses being delivered by Complete Coach Works in early 2021.
"We were really pleased at the speed of which Connexionz was able to deliver the real-time and dispatch system for our agency. Connexionz listened to our needs in relation to providing our own hardware," said Cynthia Thompson, manager for Yamhill County Transit. "This has allowed us to deploy a system at a great value while having local hardware support and quick swap spare units. The Connexionz system has been fantastic and an outstanding tool for customers. It increases customers’ sense of YCT as a reliable and dependable service.”"
A much larger scope of technology was successfully delivered in March 2020 to Stanislaus Regional Transit in California. The agency provided a fully integrated intelligent transit system across nearly 50 fleet vehicles, including real-time systems, dispatch software, multimedia content and automatic passenger counting alongside partners Urban Transit Association, which provides full NTD data support. Connexionz delivered this system nearly four months ahead of schedule.
"The system has been really useful for passenger engagement, whereby now passengers are utilizing SMS systems for accurate arrival times. It has saved our customers time," said Stanislaus Transit Manager Letti Ortiz. "The onboard multimedia systems have been very helpful because they are keeping passengers informed and meeting Title VI requirements without the clutter of physical flyers or posters inside the bus. We’re happy with the Connexionz systems and the quick deployment and dedicated support we continue to receive."
These projects enabled Connexionz to grow its operation in the United States by bringing onboard a new operations and project manager and securing a lease on a larger office space in Santa Clarita, Calif. Griffin Lauerman joined Connexionz in June 2020 with a strong background in project management. Griffin has hit the ground running with Connexionz, developing good relationships with the team and customers, and taking on management of a major project delivery in the Tennessee region.
Connexionz continues to hire for additional major roles in the US. Connexionz Smart Transit systems will continue to provide mission critical services to essential transit operations during this difficult time.
"Now, more than ever, technologies which connect riders and agencies are mission critical. With buses running at lower capacities, features like Connexionz Real-Time load monitor allow agencies to adhere to local restrictions and keep serving riders who depend on them,” said Brian Garrett, U.S. sales director. “Even with ridership down, we’re seeing a resurgence of agencies who are taking time to invest in these types of innovations, holding out faith that we can eventually get our people back on the bus."
