CARTS
Efficient and Responsive Rural Transit Services
Challenges
Capital Area Rural Transportation Systems (CARTS) services a 7,300 square-mile area in the predominantly rural counties near Austin, Texas. Performing nearly 900 paratransit trips daily, CARTS wanted to outfit its operation with an end-to-end mobile data system that would automate its paper processes and enable on-the-spot financial transactions. They also wanted to eliminate noisy radio chatter by switching to electronic text communications, and make their service more flexible in responding to 'on-the-fly' requests to improve customer service.
Solution
The chosen solution includes Mentor's Mobile Data Computers (MDCs), which house a GPS receiver and internal modem. In the office, dispatchers can electronically assign trips, send real-time schedule changes to vehicles, and communicate with drivers instantly using the Trapeze PASS computer dispatch system software.
Results
With Mentor's wireless solution, CARTS is more responsive to their customers as improved dispatch scheduling allows for 'on-the-fly' changes. To accomplish their goal of becoming a paperless and cashless operation, CARTS recently introduced the RideCARTS magnetic stripe card for fare payment, replacing their existing manual punch cards. This system will be integrated with the Lone Star card, a state wide benefit card, enabling people who ride CARTS for medical transportation to use the card for transit.
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Our broad goal was to become more responsive to public needs. We wanted to be able to schedule a significant part of our service on the fly so that people didn't have to plan their day around when our buses could pick them up. The mdc gives us the tools to do that. 
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