TRC announces sixth partnership in California with 10-vehicle on-demand transit and commingled paratransit deployment in the City of Vacaville for up to five years
Contract marks TRC’s sixth partnership in California and its fourth commingled deployment
October 1, 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 announced a new three year contract from California’s City of Vacaville (“Vacaville”) to provide microtransit with up to 10 vehicles. The contract includes options to extend the contract for up to two additional years, for a total of five years.
The partnership marks TRC’s sixth partnership in California, following those with FAST, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, Solano Transportation Authority, Plumas Transit Systems, and Lassen Transit. Service is anticipated to start late 2024.
Located in Solano County, California, the City of Vacaville is home to more than 100,000 residents. The city provides public transit through its “City Coach” service, which operates five local fixed routes, almost all of which begin and end at the Vacaville Transportation Center (one of two main transfer centers). City Coach also provides on-demand transit service within City limits, with complementary ADA paratransit services and a local taxi program for qualified riders.
The new contract will enhance the on-demand transit (“ODT”) service for City Coach Direct, with a focus on improving and extending Vacaville’s existing City Coach transit network with more efficient, flexible, and responsive transportation. The service includes on-demand transit but will also accommodate commingled paratransit rides. Commingling refers to vehicles being used for paratransit and ODT services at the same time.
“We’re thrilled to partner with another agency in Solano County to continue improving mobility in the region," said James Cox, Chief Executive Officer, TRC. "The City of Vacaville has trusted us to enhance transit for their community. Using our Pingo products, we will deliver greater responsiveness, fleet efficiency, rider convenience, and community connectedness through commingled transit and paratransit services. Riders in Solano County and surrounding areas will be able to use the Pingo app to conveniently access different transit deployments – the same way they would use Uber or Lyft at different airports."
This partnership is another example of the One Transit operating model, where seamlessly integrating transit modes can create a truly unified transit system. TRC's advanced Pingo platform makes it possible to more intelligently deploy vehicles. The integration of two or more transit modes not only enhances operational efficiency, but also represents a significant move towards equitable and inclusive public transportation for all.
“We are thrilled to partner with The Routing Company. The Vacaville community needs transit that can reach every person in a time and place most convenient for them, which is why improving our current on-demand transit service is so important,” said Lori DaMassa, Transit Manager, City of Vacaville. “We are excited to launch the Pingo product and are confident in its ability to both strengthen and extend the reach of our existing transit network, and appreciate TRC’s intensive hands-on training and 24/7 customer support. Together, we are improving the quality of life for the people of Vacaville.”
“We know commingled transit works, and we cannot wait to see the positive impact it will have on Vacaville,” said James Cox, Chief Executive Officer, TRC. “For some of TRC’s other partners in California – such as FAST in Fairfield – launching commingled services has led to more than double the on-demand ridership within the first month. More importantly, it has dramatically improved quality of life for local residents, allowing the same spontaneity in booking and taking trips.”
Vacaville’s new on-demand deployment will leverage TRC’s full suite of Pingo products – including the Drive Pingo™ and Ride Pingo™ apps, the Pingo Dashboard™ operations management tool, and TRC’s Pingo Analytics™ next generation customer transit analytics and reporting tool.
Pingo Analytics™ is TRC’s next generation customer transit analytics and reporting tool that offers best-in-class customer data access, with reports customizable to meet the U.S. Federal Transit Administration's (“FTA”) National Transit Database (or “NTD”) requirements. The new reporting features – including new self-serve reporting capabilities and additional on-demand transit metrics – can be used to combine pre-developed reports for NTD reporting, or to generate any report an operator needs whether in real time or based on historical data.
Vacaville will also rely on TRC’s in-house 24/7 rider support for prompt response to rider inquiries and troubleshooting questions.
TRC strives to deliver industry’s best customer experience, and remains unmatched in customer satisfaction. Following a recent partner survey, TRC announced it earned a record customer satisfaction score with a Net Promoter Score (or “NPS”) of 92, continuing to illustrate TRC’s ability to delight partners and deliver on white glove service expectations.
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 1.5 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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Vice President, Marketing & Policy
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James Cox
Chief Executive Officer
