As part of our initiative to find new ways to capture and elevate mobility on-demand (MOD) drivers’ voices, we are pleased to share the perspective of Jason Curry, a driver for Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA)’s Lynden Hop in Lynden, Washington.
Andrew Herndon from WTA sat down with Jason to learn about his perspective on the challenges, successes, and community impacts of driving for Lynden Hop.
Please tell us about yourself.
I’m Jason Curry and I’m an operator for Whatcom Transportation Authority.
Tell us about your experience driving for transit services.
I have been driving for WTA for 20 years, and I’ve driven fixed-route buses, paratransit, and in the last couple of years, I have driven the Lynden Hop.
How do you feel about driving for microtransit?
It’s kind of a refreshing change from other things I’ve driven. I enjoy the people and the area that we operate in. It’s been a lot of fun.
Was there a learning curve in dealing with the new microtransit technology? If so, how did you handle it?
Well I didn’t find it to be difficult. It was very similar to what we used for paratransit, so it made it an easy transition when we started the service.
Were there any challenges integrating Lynden Hop with the fixed-route and paratransit services in Lynden?
Well I think initially there were some. Just mostly getting riders used to it being a different service, that there were different ways of scheduling and getting them used to the idea that they could go anywhere in Lynden versus “oh, I have to get off here” or “I have to book the day before.” You can actually book the day of. Things like that mostly, rider education.
What have been the main challenges of interacting with the apps or technology?
Well mostly, I would say, in a way, I guess you could say how it interfaces with the service area. The length of time that it takes to actually provide a ride, things of that nature. Nothing in particular, just small things like that.
What have been the most helpful features of the app or technology for your work?
It’s pretty good at estimating how long it takes to give a ride, or estimating when you will be able to pick somebody up. In the beginning, there were some challenges with that. It has gotten better, and it’s pretty good, I would say, at this point.
Does the microtransit app offer you the opportunity to provide feedback?
Not the app itself. Feedback happens more with management. Internally.
From your perspective, what is the impact of your service on the community you serve?
It’s been awesome! They really love it. I get told every day how wonderful the service is. It’s just a great service, and they’re really thankful that we’re there. It’s just great. I honestly can’t tell you a negative thing. It feels almost like it’s too good to be true.
Can you share with us an anecdote of your interactions with riders that illustrates the impact that microtransit service has on your community?
Every day there’s people who are just so pleased that they can so easily get to the grocery store, to maybe visit a friend who’s at a retirement home or assisted living facility, or just kids going from one friend’s house to another. Things like that. It happens all the time.They hope it never goes away.
Have you used the service as a passenger? If so, what did you learn from that experience?
I have, yeah. I live in Lynden also. And probably the most common ride for us would be if I wanted to go to a place with my brother to get a beer or something like that. We love doing that. My wife uses it. We’ve used it to transport my son to school sometimes, or pick him up. So yeah, we use it fairly regularly.
From your role ‘on the ground’ driving for a microtransit service, have you noticed any issues that the service planners might not have anticipated? If so, how have you been able to work with your team or managers on changes or solutions?
Yeah, I thought about that and nothing really comes to mind. I think most of the challenges we face have to do with just getting the software to do what we need it to do and educating riders on how to use it.
Has the app or technology changed your interactions with dispatchers? If so, how?
The interactions are similar to when I’ve driven paratransit. Mostly just when we have to maybe change order or if we have a no-show. But other than that, no not really.
In cases where the on-demand app does not provide accurate directions for pick-up or drop-off points, what do you do?
If I can’t get what I need out of the app, I just refer to Google Maps or something like that.
In your experience, does the app fully account for the time a passenger may take to board and get off the vehicle?
I would say most people deboard or board more quickly. I mean, there’s usually generosity time to do that.
If it takes longer than expected, how do you handle it?
We just do it [laughs]. We just do it. Or if it’s something really out of the ordinary, I may call dispatch and say “hey, this is taking longer than expected because of this reason,” but that is pretty rare.
On-demand services usually have an expectation of picking up a rider within 15 minutes (or so) of when the ride is requested. What affects your ability to deliver service within that timeframe?
Usually, the only thing that affects that is if maybe too many rides are scheduled in a small window, that can push that. Most rides are provided well within that. I think our average is well below that, we usually get to them pretty close or within a minute of their requested time. but you know and but when the rides start to build up, and they’re all over town, that can definitely cause that window to be pushed.
Is there a disconnect between expectations and reality on the ground? If so, how do you address those situations?
I’m not sure if I would say it’s a disconnect. I think that the software operates in a slightly more tightly controlled world than the reality is, with traffic, and the time it takes a person to board, waiting for them to show up. There’s just things that cause the reality to be different than what the software expects. As far as expectations go, I’m not sure about that.
From your perspective, how could the service quality be improved?
I think that it’s important to focus on reliability, being an important part, which people should be able to count on getting a ride, within a reasonable amount of time. I think that it’s important to focus on not overloading the system because that will drive reliability down and we want to be able to give rides to as many people as possible. So that’s what I would say.
Last stop: Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience driving microtransit service?
Well, it’s been a great experience! It’s probably the best work that I’ve done at Whatcom Transportation Authority. I enjoy the people, I enjoy the town. It’s been good.
Bringing MOD drivers’ experiences to the forefront of MOD conversations adds a valuable perspective that can make for better systems for passengers, operations staff, planners, dispatchers, and drivers alike. Thank you to Jason Curry, Andrew Herndon, and Whatcom Transportation Authority for helping share this story.
For more information on WTA’s Lynden Hop, check out this MIC blog post!
Our effort to capture drivers’ stories is ongoing, and could use your help! If you are a transit agency or operator of mobility on demand services and would like to participate in this project, contact us at mic@sharedusemobilitycenter.org for instructions and interview questions.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please email us at mic@sharedusemobilitycenter.org.