Transdev Picked to Provide First-Mile Last-Mile Solutions in Tampa

September 8, 2016 — Lombard, IL

Transdev Picked to Provide First-Mile Last-Mile Solutions in Tampa

Transdev will deliver innovative digital solutions to open new public transit access for Tampa residents needing a ride.

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit required a ride-sharing solution that could help transport residents—who are typically unable to access the public transit system based on the existing network— from their home to four targeted bus stops. The “first-mile last-mile” program, called HART HyperLINK, will also provide rides to deliver them home when their bus trip concludes. The subsidized ride shares will cost residents $3 each way.

HART cited Transdev’s digital and dynamic routing experience and the company’s approach to meeting the needs of transit riders with accessible vehicles and communication portals as reasons for the contract win. Transdev will introduce a new smartphone app to HART designed to solve many “first- mile last-mile” problems transit agencies face throughout the country.

First-mile last-mile solutions are desirable because they open up public transit access to residents who typically fall outside of the system’s scope based on geographical limitations of the transit network. Traditional for-hire providers are often too expensive to justify the expense of the short ride. The subsidized rides give transit access to residents and increase ridership for public transportation agencies.

“What we’ve created is an answer to a question that has plagued transit agencies for years,” said Executive Vice President of Business Development Dick Alexander. “This new app is a tool that expands the boundaries of any transit network and offers affordable access to public transportation options. It’s a win for residents. It’s a win for transit agencies. It’s a win for everybody.”

The pilot program will focus first on four select bus stops. Residents living within a certain radius of those stops will have the opportunity to test the innovative app. Transdev is expecting a successful pilot program that will eventually lead to an expansion of the first-mile last-mile initiative. A grant from the Florida Department of Transportation will fund the two-year-pilot.