How Spare made a historic change in Austin, Texas
CapMetro's Launch of Spare’s ADA Paratransit Solution in Austin: Month One
We ended up selecting Spare out of the group of all of the successful bidders because of the algorithms, the way it was a really intuitive and accessible interface, the ease of implementation and the security of the back end of the system.
Efficiency in Motion: CATA's Microtransit Solution for Titusville Residents
Partner: Crawford Area Transportation Authority (CATA)
Location: Titusville, PA, USA
Service Type: On-demand bus operation
Goal: Replacing underperforming fixed route and costly paratransit service with a community-centered microtransit service.
Overview: Titusville, known as the birthplace of the American oil industry, is a small, rural city within Crawford County and is home to just over five thousand residents.
Crawford Area Transportation Authority (CATA) provides public transportation services in both Crawford and Venango counties in Pennsylvania, catering to a ridership composed of 22% seniors. CATA operates fixed route services in a large number of communities while also offering door-to-door paratransit services across both counties.
Prior to working with Spare, CATA operated a long-standing fixed route service in the City of Titusville, using a single bus that provided an hourly headway service for 10 hours a day throughout two thirds of the city. The fixed route service was not meeting the needs of the community and proved to be an inefficient means of transportation for the residents.
Challenges
- Outdated existing service: The community’s fixed route service was underperforming and hadn’t been adjusted in 10 to 12 years to reflect the changing community demographics and their needs.
- Low ridership due to lack of frequency: The fixed route system was inconvenient for riders as it operated on an hourly basis, leading to high wait times and diminishing ridership.
- Increasing paratransit costs: Other factors like a lack of dedicated grants and inflation exacerbated the financial strain on the agency.
Solution
- Shifting fixed route operations to microtransit with Spare: CATA replaced its fixed route service in Titusville by launching a microtransit service, CATA GO, in its place. The CATA GO service runs Monday through Friday and riders are able to schedule trips on demand.
- Maximizing resources through data-driven decisions: With the ability to analyze data through the Spare Platform, CATA was able to more efficiently reallocate resources to expand service without adding additional vehicles to the fleet.
- Supplementing paratransit route with accessible microtransit: The CATA GO microtransit service operates with three ADA accessible vans and is actively working with the community that uses paratransit to educate them on the benefits of using the service.
Results
- Increased rider convenience: Riders that once faced wait times of over an hour now face wait times of less than six minutes.
- Rebounded ridership: CATA Go’s ridership surpassed fixed route levels, operating at over 70% trip increase from previous services.
- Effective use of resources: Through rider data, CATA pinpointed trends to maximize vehicle hours and service coverage without needing additional vehicles.
- Community Impact: CATA worked with local hospitals to ensure bus stops were placed near clinics and pharmacies to promote healthy living and better access to healthcare services.
Quotes
“The collaboration with Spare is reimagining how we serve our ADA paratransit riders. We're proud that this innovation will address the current and future requirements of Austin's paratransit community, laying the groundwork for further enhancements.”
— Bonnie Epstein, Director of Mobility Services at PSTA“Our partnership with Spare has boosted operational metrics like on-time performance by 20% since we switched over from our legacy system while ridership has skyrocketed.”
— Chris Mandrell, General Manager at Citibus
Over 100 launched customers and stories
Discover how Spare has empowered transit agencies from across the globe to launch scalable, efficient, and equitable services that transform the rider experience.