Cobourg, ON., [Date] — The Town of Cobourg, faced a pressing need to revamp its public transit infrastructure due to operational inefficiencies in its existing paratransit service and underutilization of fixed-route buses. In response, the town sought innovative solutions to enhance coverage and frequency while improving overall service quality.
Mayor John Henderson of the Town of Cobourg emphasized, "For a town the size of Cobourg and based on our transit system’s needs, on-demand... is a right-sized solution." To address these issues, the Town of Cobourg embarked on a journey to transform its transit system leading them to a partnership with Rideco.
In partnership with RideCo, a leading provider of on-demand transit solutions, the Town of Cobourg unveiled Cobourg Rides, a groundbreaking transit service that integrates WHEELS paratransit and conventional on-demand transit services. This innovative approach completely replaced the fixed-route system, offering town-wide coverage and significantly enhancing service frequency from 60-minute intervals to 15 minutes.
Cobourg Rides has achieved remarkable success since its launch, boasting impressive statistics such as 4.5+ passengers per vehicle hour, 67% shared rides on weekdays, and over 95% on-time performance. The collaborative effort between the Town of Cobourg and RideCo has garnered recognition from the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA).
In 2022, Cobourg's innovative commingled service delivery model earned the prestigious 2022 CUTA Award in the Innovation Category, further validating the impact and ingenuity of the partnership.
About CUTA
Transit agencies and the companies that supply them work tirelessly to keep transit running. The CUTA Awards are a way to honor and celebrate the achievements of individuals and organizations that go above and beyond. Visit cutaactu.ca/events/awards to learn more.
About RideCo
RideCo is an industry leader in on-demand transit technology, enabling on-demand ridesharing for transit riders around the globe. We partner with transit agencies, municipalities, and experienced local fleet operators to design and operate on-demand transit services. Our solutions reduce travel time, decrease walking distance, and increase service frequency for riders while lowering transit agencies' cost-per-ride, reducing demand for parking, and attracting net new riders to transit systems. RideCo continuously drives new innovation and to-date has been awarded U.S. Patent Nos. 10,248,913; 10,853,743; and 11,429,910. To learn more about our proprietary cloud-based platform and how it can revolutionize mobility in your city, visit www.rideco.com.
