Shuttle Service Case Study: GatewayJFK
This case study covers months of operation from October 2021 to August 2022.
Highlights:
A 250% increase in daily ride requests over the period.
61.74% of total trips begin or end within the GJFK BID.
Over 36,500 total rides.
INTRODUCTION
The GatewayJFK Business Improvement District (BID) is a district located in the neighborhood surrounding Jamaica, Queens. It’s a collective of property owners, small businesses, agencies, and shops that work to provide professional services and workforce opportunities to the community. Known as an “Off-Airport” community, it also provides valuable support for the air cargo industry located at JFK airport.
One of the BID’s main challenges is that it’s nestled in an area with poor access to public transportation. Workers and residents have a hard time navigating the surrounding area, and an infrequent and crowded bus line make daily commuting a logistical nightmare.
GatewayJFK partnered with Dollaride to create an affordable and reliable shuttle service for workers to travel to and from the district. The GatewayJFK Shuttle, powered by Dollaride, was established to bring new opportunities to the neighborhood. Some of the goals of the the service at the outset included:
Creating a custom web and mobile application with GatewayJFK branding and features that meet rider and local employer needs.
Develop an efficient route based on existing and projected travel patterns.
Gather passenger and travel data to inform scheduling, technology, and growth needs.
RESULTS
A STEADY INCREASE IN USEAGE AND ACTIVITY
The GatewayJFK Shuttle saw a 250% increase in daily ride requests (from Oct 2021 to Aug 2022). This demonstrates significant growth in daily usage and activity in a short period of time. This can be attributed to updates made to the mobile app, along with increased awareness of the shuttle along the Sutphin Blvd route and throughout the GatewayJFK BID.
FREQUENT ACTIVITY LOCATED SPECIFICALLY IN THE BID
When analyzing the pickup and drop off ride requests along this route, 61.7% of the ride requests were located within the Business Improvement District. This indicates that commuters joining the shuttle rely heavily on its daily transportation through the GatewayJFK BID. For many passengers, the shuttle is essential to traveling to and from the shops, institutions, and businesses located in that area.
REPEAT RIDERSHIP AND LOCAL SUPPORT
We’re proud to say that we couldn’t have done this without the trust and support from our investors and local community. Queens Borough President, Donovan Richards, joined GatewayJFK, Dollaride, and local community members to kick-off the start of the shuttle in October. Since then, the service has provided over 36,500 rides, with 75% of passengers being repeat riders. This also means that 1 in 4 passengers are new riders — demonstrating loyalty and growth.
“This is considered a transportation desert, so this gives us an opportunity to increase accessibility to transportation, which is the great equalizer, and in tandem create jobs.” - Donovan Richards, Queens Borough President
As our ridership and activity numbers indicate, the GatewayJFK shuttle clearly fills a transit gap in and around the district. Furthermore, when powered by Dollaride, the service is able to collect relevant data to improve operations and effectively connect community members to the businesses and organizations around them.
Next Steps
The results of our case study show a steady growth in usage and demand for the GatewayJFK Shuttle, as well as Dollaride’s ability to develop and organize new routes using its infrastructure and mobility data. Dollaride’s custom web and mobile application used in conjunction with dedicated field ambassadors and a local commuter van fleet owner, allowed us to develop an efficient shuttle route based on existing travel patterns. Each day we were able to gather important travel data to inform rider and agency needs. Moving forward, we want to encourage any organization looking to improve transportation within its community OR for your workforce to contact us.
For more information, please contact us here.