The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) has implemented a new paratransit dispatching program that provides real-time data to dispatchers and cuts the time passengers wait outside in the hot or cold weather.
The new system allows UTA to offer a free call-ahead option that notifies paratransit passengers when their bus is just a few minutes away from their location. Passengers are given a “ready window," meaning that their bus could come as much as 10 minutes before or 20 minutes after its assigned time. UTA says this new program eliminates the guesswork for riders, allowing them to walk outside right as the bus arrives.
Paratransit passengers using the call-ahead program can choose to receive the alerts by phone or email and will soon be able to opt in to a text notification service, which will have a small fee to cover texting costs.
The new system also provides paratransit dispatchers with real-time data. Dispatchers can now verify bus pick-up and drop-off times, track the progress of vehicles and anticipate early or late arrivals. If a bus is running late, dispatchers can make immediate changes in the schedule to better serve customers. If a passenger cancels a trip or a bus has mechanical issues, the dispatcher can immediately adjust other paratransit trips to account for the change.
UTA notes that the new system has resulted in improved communication between operators and dispatchers, reduced wait time for riders and more positive feedback. UTA Special Services Scheduling Supervisor Angela Haylock said bus operator concerns have decreased from 10 per day to one or two per day since the implementation of the new system. Customer commendations have gone from 80 in 2017 to more than 120 in 2018.
“I think we’re doing a better job as far as educating ourselves,” Haylock said. “We’re better at understanding the service that we’re providing, thanks to the live data.”
