Spare, PSTA Partner to Expand Same-Day Paratransit Services

Spare announced it has partnered with Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) to expand its mobility on demand (MOD) same-day paratransit service.

PSTA has been working with Spare since 2021 to power its ADA paratransit service, PSTA Access.

What is Mobility On Demand?

MOD is a same-day on-demand service for Access-eligible riders that allows riders to book spur-of-the-moment trips.

PSTA has six service providers that can be dispatched for MOD and Access trips. Having multiple providers means that PSTA can deliver equitable service to everyone, including those who require wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

The integration of Spare Open Fleets technology enables PSTA to manage and dispatch any of its service providers from a single platform.  

Before integrating with Spare's cloud-based software, PSTA reservationists had to connect trip information across multiple systems manually. This made it impossible for reservationists to have a unified view of the operation to ensure operations were running smoothly. 

What This Partnership Means for PSTA, Spare

With the adoption of Spare Open Fleets technology, PSTA has successfully integrated all non-dedicated service providers, including Lyft, Uber, UZURV, United Taxi, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles, into its system, managing dispatch from one interface. 

PSTA's deployment of Spare Open Fleets to connect six separate fleets is an industry first. By incorporating these native integrations into Spare's mobility management platform, the Company can now provide transit agencies access to nearly 90% of all bookable vehicles in North America to boost their microtransit and paratransit services.  

"At PSTA, enhancing our services for our customers is always a top priority," said PSTA CEO Brad Miller. "We're proud to be innovating with Spare to better serve the same-day service needs of our paratransit riders, allowing them to live more spontaneously. Our collaboration with Spare is a crucial step towards offering modern, convenient, and efficient services that our riders deserve."

Riders can book same-day service directly from the PSTA Access app powered by Spare. From the app, riders can experience an ADA and same-day paratransit service, track their ride on the app, and have complete visibility over ETAs and routes.

For PSTA, managing dispatch to six distinct fleets has become a process. It can monitor, track, diagnose, and adapt in real time, ensuring riders arrive at their destinations on time.

"Our partnership with Spare has brought our paratransit service into the twenty-first century," said Bonnie Epstein, PSTA director of Mobility Services. "They have delivered solutions that make managing our paratransit services much easier. We can now streamline our dispatch and provide better service to our riders."