Case Study
Harvard Evening Van
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Urban
Student transportation
5 vehicles
50%
increase in vehicle utilization over the previous provider
4.9/5
rider rating
Overview
Harvard established the Evening Van Service to safely transport faculty, staff, and students around campus as a supplement to their fixed route service. Starting in mid-August 2018, prior to the start of the fall semester, Via began powering the service, which was previously powered by TransLoc’s Microtransit application. The University decided to seek other technology providers based on rider and driver feedback.
Solution
Using 12- to 14-passenger vans operated by the University, the Via-powered shuttle service provides a free on-demand, corner-to-corner service to students, faculty, and staff traveling within and nearby campus at nights during the school year.
It’s been a resounding success, with 150,000 rides taken since launch and a significant increase in patronage over the previous service. Prior to COVID-19, Via completed 170 rides per day with an average utilization — as measured by riders per vehicle per hour — of 10.
Through the pandemic the shuttle replaced the existing fixed-route service, significantly extending service hours, and reducing maximum vehicle capacity to 50% to allow for social distancing. The emergency relaunch took place in less than 24 hours.
We are excited to work with the university to provide this first of a kind campus-wide service.”
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