North Dakota DOT Implements RouteMatch ITS Software Allowing Transit Agencies to Operate More Efficiently

RouteMatch announced on Tuesday that several rural transit agencies in North Dakota were using its software to manage their transportation services. The system has allowed these agencies to handle more riders and trips and to improve the overall performance in transit operations.

Atlanta-based RouteMatch Software develops solutions that help transit agencies provide better service and function more efficiently. Passengers benefit from real-time displays that show when a bus will arrive and screens with maps that show where a bus is are also available. Smartphone apps are another way of providing real-time information. Its client list is impressive, including agencies like Santa Fe (NM) Trails, Washington County (MD) Transit and the city of Riverside, CA.

From the agency’s perspective, RouteMatch does a lot to make their lives easier. Drivers use tablet devices to perform their duties and communicate with dispatchers. Bus, train, para-transit and asset management services that operated as silos are integrated into one data and reporting system. Changing or adding routes is also simpler.

In a world seeking alternatives to paper-based information, RouteMatch could not have come at a better time. One of the most frustrating experiences that riders have is to look at a paper schedule that says the bus should have arrived by now, only to find that it’s so late that it’s time to expect the next bus. Incidents, traffic jams and weather effect arrival times. A system that lets you know what is going on in real-time is leaps and bounds better than a paper schedule that can’t account for schedule changes.

One huge benefit of RouteMatch is that it makes people accountable. Drivers are accountable, because the location of a transit vehicle is available in real-time. If that fails, the same information is available in audit trails. Customers can also see where the buses are and because of audit trails, transit agencies are now more accountable to the public. Not only do transit agencies have the tools to be more efficient, they can also be called out when they aren’t.