The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) is expanding its use of Everbridge, Inc.’s Everbridge platform for real-time, streamlined operational communications, connecting operators with dispatchers and intra-agency safety officials.
“The Everbridge tool directly enhances customer satisfaction, reduces overall risk and enhances operational safety and efficiency,” said Suzie Edrington, director of demand response operations at Capital Metro. “The key is that vehicle operators feel that they are heard. This unique use of Everbridge taps into the eyes and ears on the road and fills a gap in the transit industry particularly in serving individuals with disabilities.”
“Capital Metro’s commitment to the safety of their commuters remains evident in their creative approach to streamlining internal processes and prioritizing the feedback of their employees,” added Erin Edwards, senior director of state and local government at Everbridge. “We are honored to serve the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and to provide critical event management (CEM) solutions that help ensure the safe transit experience for their customers across Austin.”
Prior to using Everbridge, Capital Metro was challenged with a disconnect between the MetroAccess frontline operators (hundreds of bus drivers) who had onsite feedback from commuters, and the operations and support teams who could respond to and make the desired changes for the continued safety and quality service of all.
Leveraging the Everbridge Platform, Capital Metro significantly increased its ability to institute systemic operational improvements by creating an efficient means to communicate frontline operator feedback directly to the transit agency’s security and support teams.
In addition, the Everbridge platform helped Capital Metro shift operations during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver more than one million meals to those in need. And during a past snowstorm, drivers brought people to shelters, got patients to dialysis and distributed water when the municipal water system shut down.
The successful digital transformation of the MetroAccess systems helped to mitigate countless incidents while also addressing liability and risk, says Everbridge. Capital Metro receives around 700 reports from frontline operators per year via Everbridge’s automated communication methods.
Today, feedback remains easily and immediately evaluated by agency staff, and implemented into their operational system at scale. This shortens the time to implement improvements by weeks and months, providing frontline workers with the assurance that their input is used and valued, and increasing the volume of productive feedback the agency receives.
With Everbridge, the company says Capital Metro benefits from information it never had previously, provides validation to the frontline union-backed operators and helps thousands of customers navigate their communities and move safely through the world with better experiences.
