Pace Wins National Award For Innovation In Public Transit
Pace Suburban Bus (Arlington Heights, IL) has announced that the agency has been honored with a Center for Digital Government Special District Project Award for its Mobility as a Service (MaaS) pilot program.
“This award recognizes Pace’s innovative approach to improving public transportation access and simplifying the rider experience with Transit, Pace’s recommended trip-planning mobile app,” according to a press release. “The Transit app enables seamless trip planning between Pace’s fixed route and On Demand services along with Chicago Transit Authority and Metra options, making travel across the region more convenient. Pace TripCheck service is integrated into the app, allowing ADA Paratransit passengers to view and cancel their trips. App users are also alerted to VanGo options near their routes.”
“At Pace, we’re always looking for ways to improve access and streamline our services for riders,” Pace Chairman Rick Kwasneski said. “Our Mobility as a Service pilot has provided a unique opportunity to bring together different forms of transportation into one easy-to-use app. This allows riders to travel more flexibly and efficiently, bridging the gap between fixed-route services and demand-response options like never before.”
Like many transit agencies across the country, Pace has seen profound changes in the ways people use public transportation since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Passengers want reliable and frequent service at different times throughout the week, and they want transparent and up-to-date information when planning their trips. To meet those changing demands, Pace worked with private-sector developers to improve the trip-planning experience for Pace passengers.
“We’re thrilled to receive this national recognition, but more importantly, we’re excited about what this means for our riders,” Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger said. “The MaaS pilot has demonstrated the power of technology to provide a truly seamless transportation experience, and we look forward to expanding these efforts in the years to come.”
Initially launched in the fall of 2022, Pace’s MaaS pilot provides customers with features not available in other trip-planning services. Most importantly, the Transit app provides customers with a one-stop, easy-to-navigate interface that displays Pace’s family of services, from fixed-route buses to reservation-based transportation services like Pace On Demand and VanGo.
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