The GoBus system operated by the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) covers a fourteen-county region of 10,019 square miles with around 30 wheelchair accessible vehicles in service, like the one in Figure 13. GoBus allows passengers to book simple or multi-stop trips in advance, pledging safe and reliable transportation each weekday.[i] GoBus and similar rural transportation systems provide a necessary service. Rural communities typically require longer trips to social or commercial centers and services like healthcare. For many people, such long commutes can pose obstacles to wellbeing.[ii]
In August 2021, GoBus launched the GoBus Transit app, seen in Figure 14. The app offers its users mobile booking, fare calculation and mobile payment, real-time tracking, and even on-the-go adjustments to route or itinerary.[iii] The option to develop an app was offered by a scheduling service, prompting a switch from a previous software provider that added the mobile option afterward, reflective of growing demand for such services in rural areas.[iv]
A screenshot from a video on the GoBus Transit mobile app, showing an example of the interface when a user is booking a new trip. Source: East Texas Council of Governments, 2023
Implementing Mobile Transit
The largest concern post launch was a potential lack of utilization, the chief cause of which was likely to be difficulty learning the new system or a lack of desire to do so. There is plenty of parking in the areas served by GoBus; it is not a system for choice riders, and most passengers are older adults or people with disabilities. A survey of passengers prior to requesting funding confirmed that many owned Smartphones, but that was no guarantee of usage. Creating a profile to first use the app requires an email, another step which might weed out potential users. Utilization concerns were exacerbated by the app’s launch mid-pandemic, reducing both ridership and access to riders who might be receptive to informational and training sessions.[v]
Those who have adopted the app and realized its time-saving benefits—among them the ability to recall and auto-populate recurring multi-step commutes—have become repeat riders. App users accounted for 545 scheduled trips in FY2022.[vi] As GoBus can note a triple-digit trip count on the average day, there is much ground to cover to persuade riders to give the app a chance.[vii] This has made promotion a focus area, with active plans to schedule public meetings in high-ridership communities and offer training sessions and set-up assistance.[viii] For those who are open-minded, the prospect of not needing to call or wait on hold to schedule a trip—or to check bus arrival time—may prove quite compelling.
The Keys to a Transit App
Jurisdictions interested in developing an app for their own transportation systems will not require crash courses in coding. Development and maintenance of the software are conducted by a number of providers, with updates coming automatically. The provider used by GoBus allows users to select their agency through their own application via dropdown bar, but GoBus requested a standalone app, considering the higher price and yearly app store renewal process worth the greater visibility to users.[ix]
Discretionary funding from a yearly competitive grant funded the mobile app, an interactive voice response (IVR) phone system, and an in-process fare collection software—a replacement for Square that would allow greater app integration and a user account balance.[x] Any jurisdiction considering its own mobile app would be best served by contacting multiple software providers and comparing prices and add-ons offered. One such software add-on offered is a microtransit system that facilitates on-demand ride requests, with GoBus conducting a route study on areas where that service might be beneficial.[xi] Another, actively in development, is the Centers Portal, which allows informational integration for GoBus passengers who use it in commutes to and from dialysis centers. Rides could be scheduled through the portal by caretakers or caretaker-informed center staff.[xii]
Central to the success of any transportation system app, rural or otherwise, is for it to be promoted. GoBus Transit faced headwinds from the ongoing pandemic that hindered in-person promotional opportunities. While print media and social media increase visibility, promotion in the field offers high visibility and opportunities to set-up accounts in advance. Drivers may be the strongest potential promoters for such apps, their in-person interactions and trusted relationships with passengers allowing them to best communicate the potential benefits. These lessons learned to date have informed and strengthened ETCOG’s campaign to increase self-service trips, with over 1,500 scheduled through the app in the first six months of FY23 and a target of 3,000 for the year.[xiii]
For more information, visit https://www.gobustransit.com/contact.
[i] East Texas Council of Governments. (2019). “New GoBus Website Takes Online Requests for Trips.” https://www.etcog.org/new-website-for-gobus-takes-online-trip-requests
[ii] Rural Health Information Hub. “Transportation to Support Rural Healthcare.” https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/transportation
[iii] East Texas Council of Governments. (2021). “ETCOG Launches New Mobile App Enabling GoBus Customers to Manage Their Trips and Track the Bus in Real-Time.” https://www.etcog.org/etcog-launches-new-mobile-app-enabling-gobus-customers-to-manage-their-trips-and-track-the-bus-in-real-time
[iv] Personal communication with Katey Pilgram, March 2023
[v] Personal communication with Katey Pilgram, March 2023
[vi] East Texas Council of Governments. (2021). “ETCOG Launches New Mobile App Enabling GoBus Customers to Manage Their Trips and Track the Bus in Real-Time.” https://www.etcog.org/etcog-launches-new-mobile-app-enabling-gobus-customers-to-manage-their-trips-and-track-the-bus-in-real-time
[vii] Personal communication with Katey Pilgram, March 2023
[viii] Personal communication with Katey Pilgram, March 2023
[ix] Personal communication with Katey Pilgram, March 2023
[x] Personal communication with Katey Pilgram, March 2023
[xi] Personal communication with Katey Pilgram, March 2023
[xii] Personal communication with Katey Pilgram, March 2023
[xiii] Personal communication with Katey Pilgram, March 2023
This report was delivered to the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2023. It was primarily authored by NADO Associate Director Carrie Kissel and NADO Research Fellow Danny Tomares. Many transportation agency staff and others assisted with this project in a variety of ways. We offer deep and heartfelt thanks to all the individuals who have provided information and images, consented to be interviewed, and offered editorial guidance in support of this research. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of U.S. DOT or the NADO Research Foundation.
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