Could you imagine a scenario where a transit platform experiences a surge of over 1000 riders, with an increase of passengers per revenue hour by almost 10%, and an increase of passengers per revenue mile by 2%, in just two years? This was exactly the case for Bloomington Transit.
Communities can be as small as a faith-based organization looking to arrange rides for people to get to their events, or as large as a statewide program for non-emergency medical transportation. QRyde, a software developer in Lowell, Massachusetts created an app-based program to meet the needs of rural communities. In just two years, Bloomington Transit created an impact in the online marketplace where people arranging (or needing) rides could connect with people supplying them.
In 2016, Bloomington Transit contracted HB Software Solutions (HBSS) for this new paratransit scheduling platform called QRyde. Bloomington Transit began using the new technology on January 1, 2017. The agency experienced an increase in paratransit ridership of about 1,000 trips from 2016 to 2018. With Qryde’s responsive technology, the agency maintained efficiency with an increase in both passengers per revenue hour and revenue mile in 2017. Bloomington Transit attributes this improved performance directly to the adoption and implementation of QRyde.
In 2018, Bloomington Transit added the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Module to allow for automated notifications (e.g., reservation reminders, cancellations, etc.). Overall, Bloomington Transit claimed to have a positive experience with QRyde. The agency had to make some adjustments to daily activities, such as having their drivers now use tablets to review their schedules rather than paper schedules.
