Putnam On-Demand
Putnam On-Demand was a project designed to replace an existing fixed route bus line in the Eastern half of Putnam County in upstate New York.
Client Context
The Putnam County Department of Planning, Development, and Public Transportation was plagued with outdated and inconvenient bus service. Many county-operated routes were expensive and inefficient. Furthermore, given the county's rural nature, taking the bus was cumbersome for riders, as many were far from bus stops.
The most notorious fixture of the county's bus service was the former Route Three, which served the towns of Southeast, Patterson, and Carmel. In 2024, the city moved to replace this route with a microtransit solution to improve the rider experience, reduce costs, and increase overall ridership.
Project Overview
The project's deliverables consisted of a consumer mobile app paired with a 5-vehicle microtransit service serving the eastern half of Putnam County. Service vehicles were hybrid-powered, in line with best sustainability practices, and the fleet consisted of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles to ensure transit access for riders with disabilities.
Unique Factors / Challenges
A combination of operational quirks and the rural location made the service one of the most unique projects I have been a part of.
At the macro level, the service is among the first of its kind in New York State. A new Transportation Network Companies (TNC) license was obtained from the state, requiring the project team to maintain close contact with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles throughout the duration of the project launch period.
The service location also posed a challenge for day-to-day operations. The service zone is in an extremely rural area. This led the project team to work with various municipal governments in the area to secure adequate local resources for the service vehicles. Furthermore, creative methods were needed to acquire drivers due to the area's low population.
Finally, the service acted as a de facto replacement for the county's ADA Paratransit service. This required the project team to ensure that daily operations, communications, and the project marketing strategy were prepared to accommodate riders of the deprecated Paratransit service transitioning to Putnam On-Demand.
Achievements & Outcome
Recipient of the "Progress in Action" award from the Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress organization
A white-label mobile application titled "Putnam On-Demand"
A brand new microtransit service offering Putnam County residents a new way to travel within the county and to access the Metro-North railroad connecting to New York City. The service is the first of its kind in the Hudson Valley region.
Service of over 100 rides per day
