• Subscribe
  • Magazine
  • 40 Under 40
  • Supplier's Directory
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
    1. Technology
    2. Computer Hardware & Software

    Torrance Transit partners with Swiftly Inc. to improve rider experience

    Sept. 1, 2021
    The partnership creates more accurate schedules, safer rides and better working conditions for bus operators.
    Related To: Swiftly Inc.

    Swiftly, Inc., and Torrance Transit System (TTS) have partnered to bring improved system-wide transit performance and reduced vehicle crowding to the city of Torrance, Calif. 

    TTS is making the move towards technologies to improve efficiencies and safety to support a post-pandemic rebound in ridership. The agency continues a rapid hiring spree to bring aboard bus operators for the fall season as office workers return to offices and students return to classrooms.    

    TTS says it has been hard at work improving overall system performance, efficiency and safety by updating schedules to reflect changing on-the-ground conditions and is working to provide training and onboarding to the bus operators. Swiftly’s tools are integral to the overall system performance initiative.  

    “Torrance Transit is excited to work with the Swiftly Team and its versatile software platform to enhance our service planning and delivery to the public” said Kim Turner, director, TTS. “As our region and the nation recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe the Swiftly platform will greatly assist us to continue to provide safe, reliable and inexpensive transportation service to the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.” 

    These improvements were tested internally at TTS in 2019 and are now fully implemented. With Swiftly’s dashboard for advanced and intuitive reporting and performance analysis, agency staff can view real-time bus location for the entire fleet, view historical location information, compare on-time performance of routes, evaluate run times and analyze the bus speed for all routes. This information is used by transit planners when considering passenger requests and service modifications.   

    “Swiftly is thrilled to partner with Torrance Transit System to improve overall schedule accuracy, on-time performance and the rider and bus operator experience,” said Jonny Simkin, CEO and co-founder of Swiftly. “We share in TTS’s forward-thinking vision that bringing riders back after a near 18-month gap requires that transit agencies provide an even more equitable, reliable and safe rider experience.”    

    With Swiftly, TTS says it can improve the spacing of buses on a route to help prevent the overcrowding of vehicles. Swiftly also helps TTS planners identify improvements in safety for bus operators by improving their layover and rest time.  

    Swiftly also helps improve better customer experience and perceived service reliability by improving runtimes on routes that have traditionally been affected by the increase in traffic conditions as life returns to normal.