Case Study

Charlotte Area Transit System

Written by Via Transportation | May 1, 2023 4:00:00 AM
 

Case Study

Charlotte Area Transit System

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Geography

Urban

Suburban

Use Case

Paratransit

Fleet

 

700+

Trips per weekday as of November 2022

80%

Decrease in unassigned rides per day

10%+

Increase in on-time performance despite driver shortage

 

Overview

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), the largest transit agency between Atlanta and Washington, DC, wanted to improve its paratransit service’s on-time performance (OTP), which would reduce compliance risk and boost overall network efficiency despite persistent nationwide driver shortages. In January 2022, CATS chose Via to optimize the service, replacing RouteMatch, its legacy provider.

 
 

Solution

In the fastest launch in CATS history, Via configured the new paratransit solution, trained the agency’s staff, and migrated ~5,000 existing rider accounts to it’s platform — in just 16 weeks.

Within months of the transition, CATS saw an upturn in schedule adherence. The software increased OTP by 10% compared to the previous service’s 73% OTP record, allowing riders to get to essential destinations when it mattered most. As ridership surpassed reaching 700+ weekday rides, their OTP remains at its highest level in years. 

Additionally, amid the backdrop of a shrunken driver workforce, Via’s enhanced automated scheduling and dispatching reduced the number of unassigned rides per day by 80%. This minimized the need for dispatchers to schedule rides throughout the day.

Looking ahead, CATS aims to further improve their riders’ experience by enabling mobile payments.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

First software developer  for paratransit who instills a sense of integrity and pride in their product. Not willing to compromise if it compromises the principles of the product they are developing. It is refreshing."

CATS Paratransit Senior Manager
CATS Paratransit Senior Manager

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