Paratransit

PARATRANSIT SOLUTION

A Comprehensive Paratransit Solution

IT Curves offers a comprehensive software package that responds to every need of both the modern paratransit agency and their riders. The system comes off-the-shelf and tested by years of experience, but is also highly customizable to suit the specific needs of each agency. We offer every service a paratransit agency might need, from automatic routing to integrated telephony. More than just for the agency, our package includes rider-facing interfaces and features demanded by the modern customer; demand-response paratransit, a smartphone app that provides AVL for their ride, and more.

A Community Lifeline

Paratransit provides necessary and affordable transportation options to people with mobility impairments. This specialized service is a lifeline for many. However, the expense of providing such service according to Americans with Disabilities Act regulations is a major cost for many public transportation agencies. The need for comprehensive scheduling software that not only makes the service as efficient as possible, but also in compliance with the rules and regulations involved, is pressing. Moreover, demand and technology change so fast that an agency cannot afford to tie themselves into one, unchanging software package for years at a time.

Automated

The system needs minimal staff input once put into place as everything from routing to dispatch to customer call-outs can be automated. Routes are built by our Efficient Ridesharing Algorithm and sent out electronically to in-vehicle devices in the field. Integrated telephony places automatic calls to riders to inform them of their vehicle’s dispatch, imminent arrival, or to confirm a cancellation. The automation makes riding easier and increases the efficiency of your organization.

INTEGRATED

With IT Curves, there is no need to switch between systems as all data carries from one module to the other. Patient profiles created in the eligibility system carry their unique rider characteristics - including mobility needs - to the dispatch module to ensure that the correct vehicle for each person is sent to service their rides. This philosophy guides our development process as we strive to offer every service necessary for a paratransit agency, and to integrate them so that the sum becomes greater than the whole of the parts.

MODERN

IT Curves is at the forefront of development in intelligent transportation software and has been since we pioneered the use of mobile data for AVL. Our customer interfaces - like our web portal, smartphone app, and interactive voice recognition - offer all the ease and accessibility that customers expect from modern services. Our software package, moreover, allows the provision of modern capabilities such as demand-response paratransit. We continually build upon and upgrade the package and allow our clients to choose which to accept and begin using.

PARATRANSIT FEATURES

Customer Service Management

IT Curves’ Call Center capabilities are among the leading solutions in the industry. Our simple, intuitive interface helps agents take all the necessary details and dispatch rides with ease. Rider data is stored to automatically populate the screen with rider information and common destinations. Staff can quickly book return rides, repeating trips, view the status of existing trips to provide ETA, and more, all from this central interface.

Ridesharing and Route Building

Our Efficient Ridesharing Algorithm (ERSA) is an industry leader in efficiently grouping and dispatching shared-ride trips. For microtransit this is the heart of the system as it form routes based on previously booked trips while it modify the routes dynamically to add same-day on-demand add-on trips while removing the cancellation and no-shows. ERSA is extensively customizable to meet your organization’s operating needs and allowing to combine flex-route microtransit with paratransit trip demands efficiently.

Eligibility

Subscription and eligibility application processing allows riders to digitally fill an application customized by your organization, and submit the application with the required attachments online. Your administrators can process the application online, ask for additional documentation, and finally approve the eligibility of the rider. Staff also set predefined trip restrictions such as eligible dates, zones, and addresses.

Wallet

The riders’ digital wallet gives flexibility to riders by allowing them to automatically pay all or part of the fare from their saved payment methods or subscribed payment programs. Wallets may be tied to a credit card for automatic payment or be topped up with funds using money order, check, gift cards, or cash payments from which fares are deducted. Functionality is provided to allow outside funding sources to designate which riders and trips they will assist in funding and calculate copay for riders where applicable. The wallet eliminates the need to collect cash or paper vouchers in the vehicle and the subsequent reconciliation.

Where’s My Ride

Where’s My Ride (WMR) is a smart phone app that provides riders with the ability to request transportation service and monitor their service in real-time. With the app, riders can track and are automatically notified of any trip status changes, the estimated time of arrival, and current vehicle location from the time of reservation until they are dropped at their destination.

Artificial intelligence in Rider Recognition

Our tablet-mounted cameras can easily recognize a rider's face or scan a QR code on the rider’s app or specially issued card. This enables automatic and accurate boarding and alighting of riders. These AI-based features reduce driver input and add accuracy to the management of subsidized fares for fraud prevention. This capability is particularly important for providing increased accessibility.

Live Map

The system tracks and displays the location of all vehicles on a map for operation staff to monitor in real-time. All vehicle location and status data is automatically logged and recorded for reporting purposes, including full playback.

Auto Dispatch / Broker & TSP Portal

The dispatch system can be fully automated to suit demand-response transportation; it also allows supervisory input for manual and next-day dispatch. Paratransit dispatch builds routes based on certain rules, including zones, driver start times, driver location, and more. It monitors drivers accepting and performing routes and takes mitigating actions in case of driver failure to accept or perform routes on time. The system continues to modify the routes, using the automated route builder, during operation to cover for cancellations, no-shows, and additional trips. The dispatch system may be used for single fleets or can serve as a broker to disperse trips throughout multiple providers, including third-party contracted fleets providing replacement or overflow service.

In Vehicle Equipment

Our in-vehicle mobile data terminals (MDT) are off-the-shelf, data-enabled tablets for receiving and sending trip data, driver navigation, two-way communication, and tracking of vehicle location and driver actions. Our accessible backseat passenger device connects with the MDT to provide riders with rich features such as trip information, entertaining and informative videos and content, payment methods, and emergency communication.

Reports

The Reporting Suite utilizes all of the recorded trip service data to provide unparalleled analyses of your operation and services. The system contains many pre-built, commonly used reports tailored for the needs of transit agencies and enterprises. Custom reports can also be created quickly and easily. Performance reports utilize Power BI integration to expand your reporting capabilities.

Simulation & Planning Tools

Our simulation and planning tools allow you to see exactly what our software can do for you. Using your trip data and many configurable factors, the tools allow you to simulate and visualize exactly what a typical day will look like within the framework of your planned microtransit operation. Review and analyze the projected pickups, drop offs, idle times, and vehicle load within easy to read visual and map tools. This provides your operation with the number of vehicles needed, hours of operation, and other planning requirements for your paratransit program.

Integrated Telephony and Interactive Voice Response

Our telephony and IVR system integrates with your microtransit solution to provide ease of service and features that significantly reduce the cost and load on call center staff. The interactive voice response greets riders by name, lets riders book trips from commonly used addresses without a call-center agent, and automatically populates all their details on the call center screen if they need an agent. Automated calls to riders before their pickup with live status updates and at-location announcements.

Funding Source Portal

The Funding Source portal allows individual agencies that provide support for rides - such as private insurance, public agencies, or non-profit charities - to quickly and easily help their clients find and pay for rides. The portal allows for agencies to set rider eligibility, create limitations on the type and number of rides provided, and approve applicants for support. Agencies can then load rider wallets, pay automatically upon each ride, or choose bulk billing on a regular schedule.

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