Harvard Evening Van: A Case Study on Enhanced Student Transportation
Technology Category
- Robots - Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV)
Applicable Industries
- Automotive
- Transportation
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases
- Smart Campus
- Vehicle Performance Monitoring
About The Customer
The customer in this case study is Harvard University, a prestigious institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The University has a large population of students, faculty, and staff who need safe and reliable transportation around the campus, especially during the night. The University had previously established the Evening Van Service to meet this need, but was seeking a more efficient and reliable solution to improve rider satisfaction and vehicle utilization.
The Challenge
Harvard University established the Evening Van Service to provide safe transportation for faculty, staff, and students around the campus. This service was a supplement to their fixed route service. However, the service, which was previously powered by TransLoc’s Microtransit application, was not meeting the expectations of riders and drivers. The University was seeking a more efficient and reliable solution that could enhance the utilization of the service, improve rider satisfaction, and adapt to changing circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Solution
Harvard University partnered with Via to power the Evening Van Service. The service uses 12- to 14-passenger vans operated by the University to provide a free on-demand, corner-to-corner service to students, faculty, and staff traveling within and nearby campus at nights during the school year. The service has been a resounding success, with 150,000 rides taken since its launch and a significant increase in patronage over the previous service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shuttle replaced the existing fixed-route service, significantly extending service hours, and reducing maximum vehicle capacity to 50% to allow for social distancing. The emergency relaunch took place in less than 24 hours.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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