Providing public transit to large areas with mixed density is one of the most challenging problems faced by by the industry. Unlike dense urban areas, demand for transit in most rural and smaller towns is dispersed and irregular. When riders are spread out it becomes costly to provide everyone a regular fixed route that is convenient. This is exactly the challenge that caused Fort Erie Transit to decide to try something new, on-demand transit by Pantonium. The new on-demand transit system Fort Erie, Canada Fort Erie, Ontario is a town of 30,000 people situated across the Niagara River from B ..read more

How Better Origin-Destination Data Creates Better Fixed Routes By Gurjap Birring In most cities, fixed route buses are a fixture in public transit systems. Transit planners design these routes after weighing the need for community accessibility, popular destinations, and scheduling. Now and again, transit systems are redesigned, partially or entirely, to better address the needs of riders but can often fall short. Newly created fixed routes sometimes effectively serve the needs of riders but sometimes don’t. The key to well-designed fixed routes is accurately understanding how riders are using ..read more

The Ultimate Guide to Assessing On-Demand Transit Platforms   What do you think of when you hear “on-demand transit”? On-demand transit is a system where transit riders book pick-up and drop-off destinations and times, often using smartphones, and transit agency vehicles are directed, by on-demand software platforms, to transport these riders without following fixed routes. Rideshare services like Uber or Lyft may come to mind. But they are only a tiny representation of on-demand transit solutions. This guide will answer the following questions: What are the biggest problems experienced ..read more

On-Demand Transit Coming to Fort Erie   TORONTO, June 23, 2021 — Pantonium Inc., a software company offering on-demand transit solutions, today announced a new partnership with Regional Limousine to offer an on-demand transit service in the Town of Fort Erie, due to launch on October 14, 2021. This innovative service is powered by Pantonium’s macrotranist software which dynamically and flexibly routes vehicles, in real-time, to optimally match all transit agency resources (vehicles, stops, drivers, fuel, etc.) with rider demand in seconds. With Macrotransit, cities can solve the problem ..read more

Pantonium Launches Largest On-demand Transit Pilot in Sioux Falls using Full-sized Buses By:  Richard Blundell In partnership with Pantonium, a new on-demand transit (ODT) service was launched on December 19, 2020 by Sioux Area Metro (SAM) to operate on Saturdays for the residents of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The three-month pilot will be the largest of its kind in North America employing full-sized buses and will service 326 stops over 75 sq. miles of service area coverage.  On-demand buses will replace SAM’s fixed-route, all-day Saturday service, which previously operated eight fi ..read more

Incoming Funding an Opportunity for Transit Innovation By:  Gurjap Birring Funding for transit agencies is likely coming in 2021 to jumpstart the pandemic recovery and help get people moving as cities open up. In the U.S., President-elect Biden has pledged to spend upwards of $1 trillion on infrastructure, some of which will be earmarked for transit projects. In Canada, the federal and various provincial governments have provided emergency funds for transit agencies which is poised to continue into 2021. The big question for transit agencies is how to use this funding. Should they simply ..read more

How a City Efficiently Delivered Transit, Despite Pandemic By:  Gurjap Birring Prior to the fall of 2018, Belleville Transit offered evening service by running two buses on a single fixed route that circled the entire city. The routes ran from 9:00 PM to 12:30 AM and were mainly intended to serve workers commuting to and from work in the city’s North East Industrial Park.  But bus frequencies were low and the coverage area was minimal, it wasn’t a very convenient service and didn’t draw significant ridership. In a conversation with Pantonium, Paul Buck, Belleville’s Manager of Transi ..read more

Microtransit won’t deliver efficiency to Ontario cities By:  Gurjap Birring Transit agencies across Ontario, still reeling from ridership that hasn’t bounced back even as cities have reopened, recently got hit with stiff news from the provincial government. While the federal and provincial governments have earmarked some $2 billion in funding for transit agencies to help fill their budget shortfalls, the second phase of funding due in 2021 will come with conditions. In a letter dated August 12, Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney has suggested that cities will have to evalua ..read more

Webinar How to Design an On-Demand Transit Service August 20, 2020 Speakers from Pantonium: Luke Mellor, Marketing Director Milos Dobrijevic, Project Manager Jeremy Eves, Head of Transit Description There have been hundreds of on-demand transit projects deployed around the world, but are transit agencies designing them for success? Pantonium’s team will discuss various approaches to designing an on-demand transit service based on our experiences deploying projects around North America and our observations from other similar projects. Luke Mellor,  Milos Dobrijevic, and Jeremy Eves from ..read more

Why did Uber Buy Routematch? By: Luke Mellor Imagine if American Airlines bought Amtrak, that would be a head scratching acquisition. On one hand, the two companies are both involved in the provision of transportation, on the other hand they both take a completely different approach and it is doubtful that a soaring airline will want to help keep a clunking rail operator alive in its current form. That imaginary acquisition is analogous to a real acquisition that happened last week, Uber’s purchase of Routematch.  For those in the public transit industry this was a shock. For 20 years Rou ..read more