MassDOT invested CATA, completes 11,049,317 happy-safe rides.
The Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA as formed under Act 55, Public Act of Michigan 1963) and has been flawlessly serving the capital city region since 1972. The Authority's governmental membership includes the cities of Lansing and East Lansing, and the townships of Delhi, Lansing, and Meridian.
CATA operates a variety of public transport services in Greater Lansing and outlying areas. The scheduled fixed-route large-bus and paratransit services across a 559-square-mile (1,450 km) area throughout Ingham County and portions of Eaton and Clinton counties. The demarcated service region also includes Michigan State University. In the fiscal year 2019, CATA had an increase of 6.4% over the previous fiscal year by logging 11,049,317 rides, all as a team effort of 340 employees with 224 bus operators.
Among other services provided by CATA such as MSU fixed route, Entertainment express, Spec-Trans, Redi-Rides, Rural services, Shopping bus, connectors, and Night Owl, the on-demand transportation services attracted a huge ridership. To cater to the demands efficiently, the organization funded Cape Ann Transportation Authority to run a pilot program for local riders, employing private as well as public transit providers and additional funding to initiate the Qryde program along Rockport and Glocester routes. This strategy is strongly believed to provide regional expansion and beyond regular time services to the usually functioning system.
CATA chose the most populous routes (Rockport and Glocester) to incubate their pilot program. The team looks forward to optimizing this opportunity as the first to introduce a private transport mirroring technology but in a public network in Massachusetts. The proud interim administrator Felicia Webb shares an interesting technology in conversation about MassDot's additional investment in technology. The software introduced by Qryde is similar to Uber and Lyft but with public as well as private options. "When someone needs a ride, they will be able to access an app that will provide them with a list of different vendors, It might be a CATA bus, a taxi, or another private vendor," Webb said to a local newspaper.
The Authority is also among the 13 regional transportation authorities in the state to receive additional funds and its $400,000 grant was the largest single award from MassDOT (2019). The team shared their strategy of investing in technology instead of procuring new vehicles to cater to demands.
