California’s SMART expands on-demand program to include Larkspur Shuttle
TRC launches its second service in its first partnership with a rail entity
June 20, 2024 – New York, New York, USA: The Routing Company (“TRC”), a global on-demand vehicle routing and management platform partnering with cities to power the future of public transit, today celebrated Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit’s (“SMART”) expansion of SMART Connect service to now include the SMART Connect Larkspur Shuttle. The expansion follows the launch of SMART Connect Airport service – powered by TRC’s Ride Pingo – in June 2023, following the announcement of its five-year contract with TRC in March 2023.
SMART is the North Bay’s passenger rail serving Marin and Sonoma counties. Its current 45-mile system is responsible for over 800,000 passenger trips annually and includes stations in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, Novato, San Rafael, and Larkspur.
The SMART Connect Larkspur shuttle serves the SMART Larkspur station, the Golden Gate Ferry Larkspur Terminal, and the surrounding Larkspur Landing area. On weekends, SMART Connect Larkspur serves The Village and Town Center malls in Corte Madera.
TRC first partnered with SMART to offer accessible on-demand service and transit connections through SMART Connect, delivering first-and-last-mile solutions for North Bay residents to and from SMART stations across Marin and Sonoma Counties.
“Expanding our partnership with The Routing Company allows us to enhance first and last-mile connections in Larkspur by offering train passengers a new option for connecting to the Larkspur ferry,” said Eddy Cumins, SMART General Manager. “In response to community calls for greater connectivity, we are thrilled to launch this on-demand service. SMART’s mission is to connect communities, and that’s exactly what we are doing. We are focused on providing accessible and equitable transit that welcomes everyone on board.”
SMART’s deployment uses TRC’s Pingo platform including the Ride Pingo™ app for riders, Drive Pingo™ app for drivers, cloud-based Pingo Dashboard™ for operators, and Transit Connect™ feature. Transit Connect™ guarantees connections for riders to fixed route networks using real-time data. The feature was developed by TRC as a solution to improve the rider experience and guarantee a connection to onward transit modes.
“We’re proud to support SMART in its continued pursuit of connectivity in Sonoma and now Marin. Even better is that we are connecting urban and rural communities with efficient transportation,” said James Cox, Chief Executive Officer, TRC.
TRC’s award-winning Pingo platform includes the Drive Pingo™ and Ride Pingo™ apps and the Pingo Dashboard™ operations management tool, which together provide on-demand, paratransit, fixed, shuttle, and flexible transit that enhances ridership of existing transit networks.
Pingo has moved over one million passengers to date. To learn more, visit theroutingcompany.com, or to request a demo email move@theroutingcompany.com.
About TRC
Founded by MIT researchers and rideshare industry veterans, TRC is a global on-demand vehicle routing and management platform that partners with cities to power the future of public transit. Leveraging proprietary and unrivalled artificial intelligence, TRC delivers routing from multiple points of demand to one vehicle while enabling greater transit equity, accessibility, cost efficiency, and sustainability. Its leading product, the Pingo™ app, offers on-demand or advance trip requests and can operate in on-demand, flex, fixed, or paratransit mode.
With a team spanning eight countries, TRC directly supports international operations and customer growth through hubs in Canada, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Learn more at theroutingcompany.com.
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Lindy Norris
Vice President, Marketing & Policy
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James Cox
Chief Executive Officer
