Via Case Studies Harvard Evening Van: A Case Study on Enhanced Student Transportation

Edit This Case Study Record

	Harvard Evening Van: A Case Study on Enhanced Student Transportation Via

Harvard Evening Van: A Case Study on Enhanced Student Transportation

Via

Technology Category	Robots - Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV)
Applicable Industries	Automotive Transportation
Applicable Functions	Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases	Smart Campus Vehicle Performance Monitoring
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. Read More
About 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. Read More
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. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Robots - Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV)

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Transportation

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Smart Campus

Vehicle Performance Monitoring

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.

About 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.

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.

Impact #1	The implementation of the Via-powered shuttle service has significantly improved the operational efficiency and rider satisfaction of the Evening Van Service. The service has seen a significant increase in patronage over the previous service, indicating that more students, faculty, and staff are using the service. The high rider rating of 4.9/5 also indicates that the users are highly satisfied with the service. The ability to quickly relaunch the service during the pandemic, while ensuring social distancing, demonstrates the flexibility and adaptability of the service.

Impact #1

The implementation of the Via-powered shuttle service has significantly improved the operational efficiency and rider satisfaction of the Evening Van Service. The service has seen a significant increase in patronage over the previous service, indicating that more students, faculty, and staff are using the service. The high rider rating of 4.9/5 also indicates that the users are highly satisfied with the service. The ability to quickly relaunch the service during the pandemic, while ensuring social distancing, demonstrates the flexibility and adaptability of the service.

Benefit #1	50% increase in vehicle utilization over the previous provider
Benefit #2	4.9/5 rider rating
Benefit #3	150,000 rides taken since launch

Benefit #1

50% increase in vehicle utilization over the previous provider

Benefit #2

4.9/5 rider rating

Benefit #3

150,000 rides taken since launch

Download PDF Version

Overview

Harvard Evening Van: A Case Study on Enhanced Student Transportation

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit