Demand Response ITS Systems

The Vendor is required to provide for an ITS system for demand response services.
- Our current service averages 350-400 trips per day with historic numbers up to 500 per day.
- These trips are currently scheduled between 4:30am and 10:30pm.
- New software that will:
• Improve operational efficiency for scheduling, routing, and dispatching services.
• Enhance the passenger experience with real-time communication and ride request options.
• Provide robust reporting and analytics for performance metrics, including on-time performance and ridership as well as all required NTD stats.
• Solution that will grow with the business without need to change products or services.
• System should be SaaS (software as a solution)
• Ride booking and scheduling (real-time as well as a reservation for specific dates and times).
• The rider-facing app shall allow a user to book several trips up to 7 days ahead of time.
• Real-time vehicle location and routing to include adjustments on route to improve system performance.
• Load times based on different criteria to include wheelchair, eligible riders, guests, personal care attendants, building type etc.
• Options for making the manifest available to staff based on assignments and time periods for viewing of manifest (as little as 1 hr. at a time)
• Able to modify and cancel scheduled rides by the customer and staff (system locked after certain time)
• Use GPS technologies that incorporate traffic conditions and time delays into eta calculations
• Multiple ways to automatically communicate directly with customers for pickups via phone calls, text messages or other means determined by customer preferences.
• Ability to set rules for communications to passengers to better inform status of rides and eta to pick up.
• Systematic notification of expiration of rider certification. 30–60-day notification to business
• Eligibility management enables a rider to apply for service directly from the website or scanned application form, automatically creating a new profile or updating an existing one.
• The review process, including healthcare provider validation, mobility assessments, and application tracking, will be configured to match existing agency workflow and streamline the eligibility process, making it more manageable.
• Provide automated notifications (via phone call, text message, or app notifications) to alert passengers of vehicle arrival times, trip reminders, or service disruptions.
• Enable two-way communication between passengers and dispatch in case of ride changes or emergencies.
• Automated messages should be configurable
• Hosting services
• Scheduling and on-route optimization—customers should be able to book a ride on demand or in advance using their smartphone, the web booking portal, or through the call center.
• On-route optimization-continuous optimization to increase overall service capacity
• Travel time alignment on-route-travel time alignment to be comparable to fixed route for optimum scheduling.
• Client online services: booking trips online, eligibility-applications, service alerts
• Automated calls to clients with trip details and driver eta- automated calls to customers when the operator is in the area and service alerts for delays.
- Integration
• Utilize agency existing unlimited cellular connections for data transmission between vehicles and central dispatch.
- Mobility and online ride request
• Verify request from existing eligible paratransit customers only
• Ability to verify eligibility from internal dispatch.
• Allow passengers to request rides via call into scheduler, online portal, and/or mobile app, making it easier for eligible riders to schedule trips, facilitating login in the system as riders
• Ensure ride request functionality is ADA and WCAG (level AA) – compliant and accessible for all users.
• Electronic ticketing systems or connectivity to token transit.
- Fare collection and validation
• Enable fare collection via multiple methods (e.g., cash, contactless payments, or mobile app).
• Implement a fare validation system that integrates with the scheduling system to ensure accurate payment tracking.
- Reporting and analytics
• Generate detailed reports for on-time performance, ridership statistics, vehicle usage, and driver performance.
• Provide customizable reports for internal and external reporting needs, including federal reporting requirements.
• Post activity changes to show prescheduled vs actual by day to show changes made and results of those changes.
• Ability to capture no-shows and all other cancellations
• Ability to track additions and deletions to database of customers to report on for overall customer numbers
• Onboarding and off boarding codes for granular tracking of data by type.
- Contract Period/Term: 3 years
- Mandatory Demonstration Meeting Date: May 9, 2025
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: May 12, 2025