RideCo’s Multimodal feature is redefining the transit experience by enabling riders to plan journeys across paratransit, microtransit, and conventional transit services, including booking and paying for paratransit and microtransit—all in a single, unified platform with the RideCo Passenger App. By accommodating different transit modes in a seamless journey plan, Multimodal through RideCo’s paratransit and microtransit software makes it easy for riders to access the full range of transit options available to them, while ensuring cost-effective use of an agency’s resources.
Multimodal is but one of many core features that represents RideCo’s commitment to continuous innovation. From RideCo’s first deployment with Town of Milton and Metrolinx in 2015, the integration of on-demand and conventional transit services has been the primary use case for the delivery, as well as the evolution, of industry-leading product differentiators including Time Snapping and Frequency Variation. Since then, these innovations have evolved to increase access between modes for paratransit riders, benefiting all riders who rely on transit services.
One of Multimodal’s key differentiators is its ability to reflect riders’ specific eligibility criteria as they plan their journeys. For ADA paratransit operations, this means configuring options to balance accessibility with resource efficiency. Riders with conditional eligibility, such as individuals who qualify for feeder services, can plan trips that incorporate paratransit and fixed route, ensuring their mobility needs are met without duplicating services unnecessarily. This personalized approach not only provides riders with more choice and the flexibility to select the journeys that work best with their schedules, but also helps agencies allocate resources where they’re needed most.
For agencies that do not currently offer conditional feeder-service eligibility, leveraging Multimodal through RideCo’s paratransit software can help establish this capability, allowing ADA paratransit users to take advantage of both paratransit and fixed-route modes in one continuously optimized trip. By enabling this, agencies can leverage the fixed-route network more effectively, leading to significant gains in efficiency and reductions in operational costs.
Taking a service standards approach enables agencies to design flexible networks that maintain consistent accessibility across an entire city. By defining service parameters, such as a maximum wait time of 30 minutes and a 1/4-mile maximum access distance, agencies can ensure that journey plans align with these standards. When fixed routes cannot meet these benchmarks, on-demand transit services can dynamically fill in the gaps, offering an equitable and seamless transit experience.
Multimodal goes beyond simply overlaying microtransit on fixed routes. Instead, it connects microtransit into existing fixed routes, filling in the gaps where they fall short of service standards and expanding network coverage in areas where service was previously unavailable. This ensures microtransit is used strategically—supporting, rather than competing with, fixed routes. By setting clear parameters, agencies can prevent service cannibalization while enhancing overall network efficiency.
For example, in areas where a 30-minute wait time or 1/4-mile maximum access distance cannot be met by fixed routes, microtransit can be introduced to maintain accessibility. This approach ensures that each transit mode is deployed where it is most effective, leading to a more responsive network.
With Multimodal, agencies can adjust service standards—such as maximum wait times or access distances—based on demand patterns, fleet availability, budget, or geographic factors. Adjustments to the service standards policy can be easily configured in the system, enabling agencies to continuously refine service parameters to create a transit network that is not only efficient, but also responsive to changing transportation demands.
An expansion of General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS), Multimodal leverages GTFS-Flex which allows the discoverability of on-demand transit options, to display paratransit and microtransit options alongside conventional transit options. Agencies can also access the GTFS-Feed for their services through the RideCo system, for use in third-party applications.
Multimodal’s real-time data integration with GTFS-RT also provides riders with visibility into up-to-date arrival and departure times to minimize uncertainty and facilitate seamless connections between modes, enhancing the rider experience. Whether transferring between microtransit and fixed-route services, or planning an entire trip using paratransit, real-time data ensures that riders have what they need to make informed decisions.
Multimodal is powerful transit tool that enhances both the rider experience and an agency’s operational efficiency. With a service standards approach to planning, adapting service to changing transportation demands, and GTFS integrations, Multimodal through RideCo’s paratransit and microtransit software enables agencies to create an interconnected, efficient network where transit is not only more accessible, but also tailored to meet diverse community needs.
