Wheels2U
Wheels2U is Connecticut's first microtransit service. While initially focused on First-Mile & Last-Mile connections to local transit hubs, the service has now expanded to serve Downtown and the neighborhoods of Westport Avenue, Strawberry Hill, and East Norwalk.
Client Context
Located along Connecticut's Southern Shore, the neighboring towns of Norwalk and Westport have an ideal location due to their proximity to some of the state's largest cities, like New Haven and Hartford, as well as regional hubs like New York City and Boston. Due to this, Many residents commute outward, using the Saugatuck and Greens Farms railroad stations to travel within the region.
That said, Norwalk and Westport are destinations in their own right, with the towns containing historical landmarks, beaches, farmers' markets, etc. Furthermore, the city of Norwalk is developing new retail areas to supplement its existing nightlife destinations. In 2019, the Norwalk Transit District (NTD) introduced a microtransit service to supplement transit options in the towns and meet a wide range of mobility needs.
Project Overview
I was tasked with handling the transition of Wheels2U from Via's legacy Tech Stack onto Via's new standard infrastructure. This consisted of supporting the development of an updated consumer mobile app and migration of components used in the live service (Drivers, Vehicles, etc.) Furthermore, existing user data was also moved to ensure that the rider transition to the new app was as seamless as possible.
In addition, the vehicle fleet was revamped, with Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles maintained to ensure transit access for riders with disabilities.
Unique Factors / Challenges
Unique factors of this project were the following:
Operational testing
Data synchronization
Payment integration
Vehicle Fleet Management
Migration planning.
Operational testing was a unique challenge because the project centered on technical upgrades to a live operating service. This factor meant that testing processes and timing had to be altered to ensure the operational service wasn't impacted.
Data synchronization was notable because the program was never shut down during the transition to avoid disrupting riders' commute routines. Therefore, data was being written and stored within the old infrastructure right up until the service migration actually occurred. To enable this, rider data was transferred multiple times to ensure all previous data was present in the new database.
Payment integration efforts were significant because the technical update included updating available payment options and payment processing flows. This included adding newer payment methods such as Apple Pay. Moreover, it was critical that existing rider credits purchased by users were transferred and usable within the new app.
Vehicle fleet management was notable because the Wheels2U service uses a high percentage of Paratransit vehicles. These vehicles differ from the standard vehicles used in other microtransit services in their ranges, passenger capacities, and travel speeds, among other factors. Therefore, the routing algorithm and operational flows were altered to accommodate these vehicle considerations.
Finally, coordination of the migration was significant, as it required extensive In-Person and remote-office resources to be aligned within a short time window on the morning of the migration. Systems were successfully implemented and workflows executed overnight within a couple of hours, ensuring that the old technical systems remained operational through the end of the previous service day and that the new ones were ready to go by the next morning. Support and engineering teams globally were involved in this effort.
Achievements & Outcome
A white-label mobile application titled "Wheels2U"
A needed update to the first microtransit service in Connecticut, offering Norwalk and Westport residents an additional option for traveling within the city and accessing the regional rail network connecting to New York City, Boston, and beyond.
Service of over 500 rides per day
