Screenshot: A previous trip planning platform in the Atlanta region, released in 2014 (property of ARC)
Civic Sphere worked with the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) in the US in partnership with Nelson/Nygaard’s office in Boston, Massachusetts, USA during 2019-20.
Project Background:
This project involves services in the US that are commonly used by people with limited mobility and those 65+. Learn more about these specialized public transport services.
Client Question:
How can the various “uber-like” (on-demand) and “demand-response” public transport options across the Atlanta region – with a population of more than 5 million people – be unified so that riders can plan, book, and pay for their trips over the phone and online, such as with One-Call/One-Click systems?
Civic Sphere’s Response:
The Atlanta region’s riders should be able to see the entire mobility system for planning purposes at a minimum (such as by updating the Simply Get There project). In addition, work should be done to centralize booking and payment, or provide “collaborative” booking and payment between operators as a first step. The data for these services should be standardized/made shareable so that all kinds of apps can leverage it.
The core idea of the project was to ensure that people with disabilities and those 65+ – users of the various ADA services as well as all other services – are on equal footing when it comes to technology. While ADA paratransit is legally protected, how technologically advanced it should be is not. This means that while some public transport services are modernizing, ADA paratransit is not necessarily following the same course. The wider the disparity between the services, the harder it becomes for the rider to get across large metropolitan areas like Atlanta. At the same time, it is also important to protect call-based trip booking and cash payment, since this remains the preference of many people.
Project Background:
This project involves services in the US that are commonly used by people with limited mobility and those 65+. Learn more about these specialized public transport services.
Client Question:
How can the various “uber-like” (on-demand) and “demand-response” public transport options across the Atlanta region – with a population of more than 5 million people – be unified so that riders can plan, book, and pay for their trips over the phone and online, such as with One-Call/One-Click systems?
Civic Sphere’s Response:
The Atlanta region’s riders should be able to see the entire mobility system for planning purposes at a minimum (such as by updating the Simply Get There project). In addition, work should be done to centralize booking and payment, or provide “collaborative” booking and payment between operators as a first step. The data for these services should be standardized/made shareable so that all kinds of apps can leverage it.
The core idea of the project was to ensure that people with disabilities and those 65+ – users of the various ADA services as well as all other services – are on equal footing when it comes to technology. While ADA paratransit is legally protected, how technologically advanced it should be is not. This means that while some public transport services are modernizing, ADA paratransit is not necessarily following the same course. The wider the disparity between the services, the harder it becomes for the rider to get across large metropolitan areas like Atlanta. At the same time, it is also important to protect call-based trip booking and cash payment, since this remains the preference of many people.
