GDOT Annual Report 2019

G R E E N S B O R O T R A N S I T A G E N C Y

Public Transportation Briefs

SCAT Adds Ride Share Service

Bus Tracker App Use Grows

As part of GTA’s eforts to improve services, Greensboro Transit Agency’s Specialized Community Area Transportation (SCAT) program launched a pilot project to ofer riders with disabilities the option of shorter, direct rides for daily use. Partnering with Richmond, VA-based UZURV, SCAT I-Ride operates similar to popular ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft. Qualifed SCAT riders call the reservation line to request door-to-door transit service with guaranteed ADA-accommodating vehicles. I-Ride, unlike SCAT’s 24-hour reservation requirement, is reserved in as little of two hours and arrives at the exact time requested. A fxed fare of $6 per trip applies to travel anywhere within the city limits. Personal care attendants ride free and additional companions are charged $6. The drivers are trained in disability sensitivity and customer service to ensure the experience meets the expectations of our customers. The launch of the pilot program garnered a positive response from the riding community, and the service quickly expanded from its original Monday through Friday hours to include weekends. Possible future expansions may include longer daily hours and reservations by web or mobile app. Concert Earns National Recognition The American Public Transportation Association recognized GTA with a frst place Adwheel Award in the category of Special Events for the HEAT Tiny Bus Concert Series. Inspired by National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk Concerts, HEAT collaborated with the UNC-Greensboro to provide live entertainment on a HEAT bus in regular operation. UNCG Chancellor Franklin Gilliam played an acoustic guitar with a jazz quartet. GTA Marketing and Communications Manager Kevin Elwood accepted the recognition at the APTA 2019 Marketing & Communications Workshop held in New Orleans, LA. Since 2006, GTA has won four national AdWheels for marketing eforts.

GTA’s bus-tracking mobile app, Transloc, continues to grow in popularity. In 2018, the system got 1,760,914 hits, up 200,000 hits over the prior year. Users of the free app can view all GTA and HEAT buses in real time and receive arrival times at any of our almost 1,100 bus stops. Riders with simple text- enabled phones can also text the bus stop numbers available for every stop to 41411 to get the next arrival times. Transloc was funded through the Participatory Budgeting Greensboro program. GTA Gives Back A little over a year after a tornado destroyed houses, churches, and a school in east Greensboro, GTA used the opportunity to give back to the community with our inaugural Helping Hands project for Habitat for Humanity. City employees and Keolis contractor staf joined bus riders for a group home build on Saturday, May 18. After a brief safety training and instruction, our crew worked to construct the frst walls of the new home. A break in the construction allowed the volunteers to hear words of gratitude from the Habitat Greensboro CEO, the fnancial sponsor of the Kay Street build, and the family who would soon call the property home. At the end of the workday, the concrete slab had its walls, ready for the next steps with several volunteers committing to return for additional assistance. Giving back through Helping Hands was an enjoyable efort for all involved, and we look forward to more opportunities to give.

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