Transdev landed a contract to operate an urban paratransit service for the City of Dekalb, Ill. The company assumed operations of the service on Jan. 2.

Dekalb is located in northern Illinois, about 50 miles west of downtown Chicago. The new contract for Transdev complements its existing fixed-route service agreement with the city. As part of the contract, Transdev will operate 24 vehicles with 42 employees.

“We are excited to expand our service offerings to the City of Dekalb by managing the operations and maintenance of the urban paratransit service,” said Laura Hendricks, CEO of Transdev U.S. “We have operated Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Line service in Dekalb for close to 50 years and look forward to bringing our expertise in managing paratransit operations to the area.” 

Transdev will provide its paratransit riders with new technology options to enhance the passenger experience. Passengers will be able to receive SMS text message alerts to remind them of their upcoming trip, book a trip, or notify them when their driver is approaching the pickup location.