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    1. Bus
    2. Paratransit

    St. Louis Metro launches new paratransit trip scheduling software

    Jan. 15, 2025
    The new software will help to make it easier for Metro Call‑A‑Ride customers to schedule their trips.
    Related To: Bi-State Development Agency of the Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District (St. Louis Metro)
    St. Lousi Metro
    The new software will help to make it easier for Metro Call‑A‑Ride customers to schedule their trips.
    The new software will help to make it easier for Metro Call‑A‑Ride customers to schedule their trips.

    The Bi-State Development Agency of the Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District (St. Louis Metro) has transitioned its Metro Call‑A‑Ride paratransit service to a new scheduling and dispatching software program called Spare. The agency says the software update is part of its commitment to improving transit services for customers with disabilities who use Call‑A‑Ride in the St. Louis region.  

    Call‑A‑Ride has been testing the new software program and equipment since November with team members and a small group of customers. 

    St. Louis Metro says customers calling to schedule Call‑A‑Ride trips may be asked questions by the call center team as the reservations agents warm up to the new software system. Customers taking trips will notice some differences as well, with all vans and drivers using the new equipment and software. 

    Next month the project will move into the Call‑A‑Ride customer experience phase. That’s when customers will begin using new rider communication tools such as automated text messages and phone calls confirming a scheduled Call‑A‑Ride trip. This phase includes the introduction of a customer smart phone application and web-based portal to schedule and manage their trips, as well as real-time Call‑A‑Ride vehicle location updates. To prepare customers to use the features in the next phase of the project, Call‑A‑Ride will be sharing information and providing opportunities to learn how to use the new tools. 

    “Our promise and focus is to make public transit easier and more reliable for the residents who count on us,” said St. Louis Metro Transit Chief Operating Officer Charles Stewart. “These improvements will give our Metro Call‑A‑Ride customers more control over their day and will help ensure their paratransit experience is smooth and more reliable. That is a key factor in helping older adults and individuals who have disabilities live independent lifestyles.” 

    St. Louis Metro Transit says it  has made numerous improvements to its ADA paratransit services over the past two years in order to provide more reliable trips in the city of St. Louis, Mo., and in St. Louis County where Call‑A‑Ride is operated in tandem with MetroBus service.