The city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was facing a challenge with its public transit system. The existing system was based on a fixed route autonomous shuttle following the City’s Downtown Area Shuttle West Route. This system was restrictive as it only allowed passengers to travel to a fixed set and sequence of stops. The city was looking for a solution that would allow passengers to travel anywhere they wish at any time, providing a more flexible and convenient mode of transportation. The challenge was to transition from a fixed route system to an entirely on-demand service, while also integrating autonomous vehicle technology.

Shufersal, the largest supermarket chain in Israel, was grappling with an outdated, largely manual distribution planning system. The company was seeking to replace this system with a more efficient, digital process. The primary goal was to achieve greater operational efficiency. The old system was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors, leading to inefficiencies in the distribution of goods from their central warehouses to their over 350 branches across the country. The challenge was to find a solution that could seamlessly integrate with their existing inventory management system, automate dispatching, dynamic vehicle routing, and driver shifts, and provide a comprehensive view of their entire operation.

Gainesville, Georgia, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a region where public transit is essential yet inconvenient. The area's bus stops are not centrally located, leading to long walks and low ridership. This situation is particularly challenging for residents who are not as mobile due to age or physical ability. Furthermore, a significant number of residents do not own a vehicle, making them heavily reliant on public transit. The existing fixed routes were underperforming, and the lack of a modern, convenient system was a significant issue for the community.

ITOCHU Corporation, a prominent Japanese company, and Mori Building Company, a leading Tokyo-based urban developer, were seeking to improve mobility between their company campuses and reduce the use of single occupancy vehicles. They partnered with Via in 2019 to expand on-demand mobility in Japan. The initial partnership with Via began in August 2018, where Mori Building Company developed an on-demand mobility solution for travel between properties. It quickly became evident that Via’s solutions could be successfully applied to Japanese business customs and traffic conditions. However, the challenge was to create a solution that would be widely accepted and used by the employees, and that could be integrated into the existing transportation infrastructure.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, was looking for a way to provide efficient and convenient transportation for the University of Michigan students and faculty, as well as community members and visitors. The city needed a solution that would connect the Kerrytown area with Downtown and the University of Michigan’s campus, including popular local destinations such as the U of M Museum of Art and the Ann Arbor Public Library. The solution also needed to provide connections to other forms of transit, such as the Ann Arbor Amtrak Station. The challenge was to implement a solution that would be free, autonomous, and shared, while also being able to account for live traffic and road conditions.

The City of Melton, a rapidly growing suburb in Victoria, Australia, was facing a significant challenge with its public transportation system. The city's residents were heavily reliant on private cars, with an estimated 85% of weekday trips and 93% of weekend trips made by car. The use of public buses was at a mere 1%, indicating a decline in patronage despite the increasing population. The primary reason for this was the poor service quality of the bus system. Out of the forty-seven bus routes in the city, only five met the state's minimum standards. To address this issue, the Melton City Council initiated a project called 'Moving Melton' in 2022, aiming to redesign the city's bus network.

Milton Keynes, a small city located about 50 miles northwest of London, had been grappling with the challenge of promoting public transportation for several decades. The situation worsened in 2020 when the global pandemic caused subsidies on supported bus services to surge from £2 to over £10 per journey. The city was faced with the daunting task of maintaining or even improving the essential supported services while also achieving significant cost savings.

The Quimper region in France was grappling with a variety of mobility challenges. The primary objective was to enhance the quality of service while simultaneously reducing costs. The region was also keen on digitizing their transportation planning tools and customer experience. This was aimed at maximizing operational efficiency with commingled fleets. The region was also looking to launch a joint microtransit/paratransit service in 2021. The challenge was to effectively manage the fleet of 3 microtransit vehicles and 8 paratransit vehicles, and to ensure a seamless and efficient service for the residents of the region.

Stuttgart, Germany, the country's sixth-largest city, is grappling with a high volume of private cars on its roads, leading to frequent high levels of air pollution. The city's public transport operator, Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB), had launched an on-demand service in 2018 to address this issue. However, the service needed significant expansion and upgrades to meet the city's transportation needs effectively. The challenge was to enhance the existing service to provide city-wide transit coverage, especially at times and in places where traditional public transport was inadequate. The solution also needed to be user-friendly, accessible to visually impaired individuals, and capable of smooth communication between riders and drivers.

In early 2020, Stagecoach Group, the United Kingdom’s largest bus and coach operator, was seeking a software provider to help them deliver a reliable and convenient transit option for residents in more isolated communities across Tees Valley, a rural, industrial region in Northeast England. The challenge was to provide a transit solution that could cater to the unique needs of the region, including the ability to serve more rural areas and provide on-demand or pre-booked rides to various destinations, including train stations, hospitals, and the airport.

The Austin metro region, encompassing rural, suburban, and urban areas, was grappling with limited access to the city’s fixed route transit system. This posed a significant challenge for residents, particularly those with limited mobility. The existing transit options were inadequate and inconvenient, making daily commuting a struggle for many. A previous dial-a-ride service had been implemented but it was not cost-effective and failed to meet the growing demand. In 2017, a pilot project between Via and CapMetro quadrupled ridership and halved the cost per passenger, prompting CapMetro to consider a more extensive solution. The goal was to re-launch the 'Pickup' service in five zones covering a combined 18 square miles within the Austin region, with plans to expand to additional zones.

The City of Chandler, located in Arizona, US, was seeking to digitize and expand its transit network to better serve its residents, particularly students in K-12 schools. The city wanted to make the entire system more accessible and convenient for residents, especially for students traveling to and from extracurricular activities. The city had secured funding through an 'A for Arizona Transportation Modernization Grant' in July 2022, but needed a partner to help them implement a solution that would meet their goals of increased accessibility and convenience.

The City of Edmonton, Canada, faced a significant challenge in overhauling its bus network for the first time since 1997. The goal was to bring more frequent service to heavily-trafficked corridors, reroute local bus routes, and introduce a new service, Edmonton On Demand, to bridge transit gaps in lower-density areas. The city aimed to provide more convenient connections to high-frequency routes and accessible transit to local destinations. The challenge was to implement this in 30 communities and 18 large senior residences. The city also had to deal with fluctuating community needs due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response.

Transport for Wales (TfW), the Welsh Government’s transportation authority, was faced with the challenge of providing safe, affordable transportation to its citizens. The goal was to connect people to essential destinations while complementing the existing fixed route bus network. The task was to create a unified, tech-enabled network that could serve multiple rural, urban, and suburban areas. The network needed to be flexible enough to accommodate the needs of different communities and efficient enough to encourage people to use public transport over private vehicles. The challenge was further compounded by the need to coordinate with multiple local councils and bus operators across different zones.

A multinational tech giant was seeking a solution to simplify commuting for its employees and reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs) near its offices. The company, with campuses in Sunnyvale and Mountain View, California, and Waterloo, Canada, wanted to sponsor an employee shuttle that would provide efficient and convenient transportation for its employees. The challenge was to design a system that would be able to efficiently transport employees to and from the offices, while also reducing the number of SOVs. The company contracted with Via in December 2019 to launch an on-demand, microtransit pilot offering free shared rides to employees at its California campuses, and later expanded the service to its Waterloo campus in October 2021.

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.

Summit County, Utah, was facing a challenge of serving a rapidly growing community with limited transportation options. The existing transit system was not sufficient to meet the increasing demand and lacked the necessary coverage to provide first- and last-mile connections. The county recognized the need for a more comprehensive and efficient transit system that could cater to the diverse needs of its residents. The challenge was to design a multimodal transit development plan that emphasized frequent and direct fixed-route service, while also incorporating on-demand zones to increase coverage. The county also needed to ensure that the new system would receive broad public support and buy-in.

The five rural communes of Sarthe, in France's Loire region, were facing a significant transportation challenge. With no public transportation available, residents were forced to rely on private vehicles to commute to denser areas using the TER train network. This situation was not only inconvenient but also limited mobility for those without access to a private vehicle. SNCF's Tech4Mobility, a program within France's national state-owned railway company, recognized this issue and sought to provide innovative mobility options for these commuters. The challenge was not only to cater to daily commuters but also to those traveling for educational and leisure purposes.

Mountain Line Transit Authority (MLTA) has grown its small transit network into a thriving 24-line system serving approximately 1.3 million rides each year. The transit authority not only serves downtown Morgantown but also the more rural surrounding area and the large student population at West Virginia University. Due to the university schedule, MLTA has always re-bid its services three times per year, a daunting challenge for any agency. This challenge grew even more daunting when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, disrupting MLTA’s ridership and workforce. The team was spending a month completing a full service re-bid, which was a significant drain on resources and time.

The North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD) in rural northern New Mexico faced a significant challenge in providing transit services across a vast area of approximately 10,000 square miles. The district, which links small cities like Santa Fe and Taos, rural communities, and Native pueblos across the state, operates a mix of fixed-route and demand-responsive bus services. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted demand patterns, and a driver shortage led to route cancellations and consolidations. As a result, the NCRTD team found themselves making route modifications on a weekly basis, a task that was nearly impossible to manage efficiently in such a large and complex system without the aid of advanced technology.

The western Niagara region in Canada, a mix of rural and urban areas, was struggling with providing efficient and wide transit coverage for its residents. The Regional Municipality of Niagara was grappling with the challenge of ensuring that residents could access community centres, GO Transit connections, and other point-to-point destinations conveniently. The traditional fixed-route transit system was proving inadequate in meeting the diverse transportation needs of the region. The Municipality, therefore, partnered with Via Strategies, Via’s consulting team, to explore the feasibility of an on-demand transportation system that could provide better coverage and improved service.

Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) embarked on a mission to redesign their entire public transit network in 2018. The challenge was to create a service that could cater to the unique size and characteristics of their communities, serve both residents and tourists, and provide easy connections to transit hubs. The previous service was inefficient, with long wait times of up to 60 minutes, and was not able to adequately serve the needs of the community. The goal was to create a more efficient, cost-effective, and enjoyable rider experience that would be accessible to more people.

The Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) operates a nimble transit system that caters to a varying seasonal demand. This necessitates the organization to hold three bids each year to staff their fixed-route bus network: one for the winter sports season, one for the summer, and one for the shoulder season. The TTD team had been using Remix Planning and Scheduling products to keep these processes smooth. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed ridership patterns, leading to driver shortages. Additionally, the agency's dedicated scheduler left the team, leaving the TTD in a challenging situation. The team had to adapt to these changes and continue to provide consistent, high-quality transit service to the 50,000 people they serve, without any full-time schedulers.

The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) was faced with the challenge of introducing a flexible, sustainable transit option to supplement its fixed-route network and enhance regional connectivity. The goal was to replace the agency’s legacy Call-A-Ride services with a more efficient and user-friendly system. As a member of NEORide’s consortium of over 20 midwest agencies, TARTA had the opportunity to leverage the organization's procurement vehicle to quickly access necessary software and launch support. However, the challenge was to deploy an on-demand service within a short span of 12 weeks.

Sindiônibus, the union of transport operators in Fortaleza, Brazil, was facing a steady decline in public transport ridership. The rise of ride-hailing apps and private vehicles had led to a significant drop in the number of people using public transport. The challenge was to integrate a more efficient and comfortable transportation alternative into their network to regain riders, while keeping service costs in check. An internal feasibility study was conducted in December 2019, which led to the rollout of a microtransit service called TopBus+.