RideCo And LA Metro Achieve A 39% Improvement In Cost Efficiency Operating The Largest Microtransit Service In The U.S.

LOS ANGELES, April 3, 2024 /CNW/ - RideCo, the most adopted cloud-based on-demand transit solution among the 10 largest cities in the United States, in partnership with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("LA Metro"), recently surpassed 1.8 million microtransit rides. This growth milestone was achieved while driving a 39% improvement in cost per passenger ride and maintaining high customer satisfaction with an average 4.7/5 trip rating.

"Our guiding principle is to expand access to high-quality transit for residents of L.A., especially in areas that are underserved by fixed-route bus service and in equity focused communities. Our analysis of ridership in these zones shows that more people live or work within a five-minute walk of a Micro stop than the current fixed-route network in these zones. This flexible service is increasing access to jobs, health care, and education, and bringing new riders to Metro's fixed-route network," said Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer of LA Metro. "We have taken major steps through our continued partnership with RideCo, innovating with Metro Micro to significantly advance the services offered to our customers in a cost-effective manner."

After trialing a pilot program in three service zones, LA Metro launched Metro Micro on RideCo's industry-leading on-demand transit platform in 2020. As the largest microtransit system in the U.S., Metro Micro now provides coverage in 21 cities as well as several unincorporated communities across 165 square miles in Los Angeles County, with a fleet of 85 vehicles. Passengers enjoy the convenience of average wait times of approximately 16 minutes, walking time to pick-up of less than 4 minutes, pre-scheduling or requesting rides on-demand, tracking the vehicle ETA and location using a mobile app, and a comfortable overall journey.  In addition to on-demand rides, one-third of riders pre-scheduled their trips in advance by hours or days to reliably commute, connect to a bus, and make it to appointments on-time.  The service's superior reliability and 92% on-time performance is enabled by Mtro's operations team that regularly analyzes demand, optimizes employee driver schedules, and maintains high standards of safety, driver training, and customer service.

"The consistent focus we have placed on rider satisfaction and productivity metrics has led to positive outcomes for Metro Micro," stated Dan Nguyen, Executive Officer of LA Metro. "Our team collaborates closely with RideCo and together, we have achieved incredible service performance metrics, including 92% on-time performance, improving cost efficiency by 39%, at $29.06 per ride in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, and recently achieving 5.0 passengers per vehicle hour in the San Fernando Valley zone for January and 6.7 passengers per vehicle hour as a new single-day record in February."

Customers have embraced Micro. In April 2023, Metro Micro became the first publicly operated microtransit service to reach one million rides in the U.S. The service enables transit equity by providing an accessible mobility option for underserved communities that is both affordable and convenient, resulting in high customer satisfaction with an average 4.7/5 trip rating.   

"The team at LA Metro is providing a better quality of life for people across Los Angeles County by offering enhanced mobility to those that do not have close access to a fixed route," said Prem Gururajan, Co-Founder and CEO of RideCo. "People around the world struggle daily with using public transit to get to work, school, or their appointments. The continued success of Metro Micro, evidenced by their 27% ridership growth in the past year, is an example of how deploying innovative solutions can completely transform not only how riders use public transit, but how agencies can bring new riders to their fixed-route network as well."

Given the geography and Los Angeles County's large population, there are many challenges to providing public transit for the community. Further complicating the issue, traffic volume is one of the highest in the country. These factors in combination speak to the complexity associated with the city's transit planning. To work toward a long-term sustainable transit plan, LA Metro's Vision 2028 Plan is the agency-wide strategic plan that creates the foundation for transforming mobility in Los Angeles County through the year 2028. With this as the guiding direction, LA Metro, in partnership with RideCo, has risen to the challenge and offers a sustainable solution through Metro Micro that results in improved transit for all.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) is building the most ambitious transportation infrastructure program in the United States and is working to greatly improve mobility through its Vision 2028 Plan. LA Metro is the lead transportation planning and funding agency for Los Angeles County and carries more than 900,000 boardings daily on a fleet of 2,200 low-emission buses and seven rail lines.

RideCo is the leader in rider-centric on-demand transit technology, with the most adopted cloud-based paratransit and microtransit solution among the 10 largest cities in the United States. Trusted by agencies, as well as fleet operators and technology companies, the platform powers the largest on-demand transit services in North America including Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Houston and San Antonio have also adopted RideCo's transformative software, rooted in proprietary continuous optimization technology, and supported by the industry's best customer service, including a 95% plus retention rate.

From reducing overall travel time and encouraging sustainable public transit usage to improving operational efficiency and delivering the lowest total cost of ownership, RideCo's on-demand transit technology is advancing transit for riders and reshaping how transit agencies operate their services. To date, RideCo has been awarded U.S. patent numbers 10,248,913; 10,853,743; and 11,429,910. Visit www.rideco.com to learn more about revolutionizing mobility in your city.    

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rideco-and-la-metro-achieve-a-39-improvement-in-cost-efficiency-operating-the-largest-microtransit-service-in-the-us-302106728.html

SOURCE RideCo Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]