Everything You Need to Know About MyRide

Everything You Need to Know About MyRide

The APTA Public Transportation Ridership Update states transit ridership rebounded to 79% of previous levels in March 2024; yet, transit agencies are still feeling the pinch of losing riders.

A best practice recommended by APTA for successfully retaining ridership is providing consistent and up-to-date communication about changes to service. That’s when a powerful passenger information system like MyRide enters the picture.

What is MyRide?

With MyRide, riders can access a website or mobile app for information about your transit services.

Integrating seamlessly with TripSpark Streets fixed route software, MyRide receives a continuous flow of transit information from Streets, including stops, routes, real-time schedules, and GTFS-RT data. Any service update made in Streets is automatically reflected in MyRide so riders have the most current service information at their fingertips.

No worries if a rider doesn’t have internet access because MyRide has SMS text and interactive voice response (IVR) options for communicating service information by phone.

How does MyRide satisfy riders?

Taking public transit can be stressful for some riders because they don’t know where to find a stop or when the bus will arrive. It also can be frustrating when riders can’t depend on the schedules posted by their local agency.

The advantage of using a passenger information system like MyRide is that you can provide user-friendly tools for trip planning, plus real-time schedules and service updates. Riders can even monitor a vehicle approaching a stop live on a map, so they know when to leave the house to catch the bus on time.

In addition, Streets contains an industry-leading algorithm that has led to gains of 30% on average for vehicle departure accuracy which means riders spend less time waiting for the bus.

Service information that is accurate and easy to access allows you to boost rider confidence in taking transit – as well as your agency!

How can MyRide make life easier for your agency?

When riders have self-service options for planning trips and monitoring vehicles, dispatch spends less time answering, “Where’s my bus?” calls and more time running services proactively. They can manage routes more efficiently, as well as learn new ways to improve the rider experience.

MyRide can be branded with an agency’s logo and colors to be visibly recognizable to your riders. The app only requires an upgrade when there is a major software release, with any minor bugs or fixes automatically updated by TripSpark.

What’s the difference between MyRide and an off-the-shelf transit app?

We get it. An off-the-shelf transit app that can be launched quickly and inexpensively is an attractive option for agencies. However, when your passenger information system is the first touchpoint for a rider, can your agency make a good impression when the app offers a limited cookie cutter experience?

If growing ridership is one of your agency’s priorities, passenger information is the north star that will guide riders to your services. That’s why it’s vital to invest in a comprehensive passenger information system that communicates accurate and reliable trip information to riders in your agency’s unique brand voice.

As services grow or change, MyRide evolves alongside your agency without losing key functionality. While you may save a little by delivering an off-the-shelf transit app to your riders, the trade-off is likely scalability, functionality, and rider experience.

Is MyRide accessible for riders with disabilities?

MyRide is leading the charge in making public transit more accessible for everyone because accessibility is a top priority at TripSpark.  

Developed to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, MyRide undergoes continuous innovation to ensure riders with disabilities can easily navigate and interact with the system to get transit information.

MyRide works with both the VoiceOver screen reader included with Android devices and the TalkBack screen reader for iOs devices. Riders simply enable the feature in their phone settings and with specific gestures like dragging or tapping, the screen reader will read aloud what appears on the screen. Currently, MyRide supports English, French, and Spanish.

But wait, there’s more! For riders unable to use a mouse, MyRide offers keyboard tabbing which allows them to navigate sections of a web page. As the rider moves around, each element is outlined with a customizable color. This feature request by an agency partner aligns with TripSpark’s mission to help agencies make transit information effortless to access.

Is MyRide a good fit for my agency?

MyRide allows you to provide reliable and accurate service information that builds trust with riders. More riders will jump back on board when they can plan a trip, find the stop, and know exactly when the bus will arrive.

MyRide is the right fit for your agency if:

  • You have fixed route services.
  • You have TripSpark Streets.
  • You want an agency-branded website and mobile app for passenger information.

Ready to get started with MyRide? Talk to TripSpark and let’s have a conversation about giving riders service information they can depend on.