Arlington City Council approved two contracts for more assistance with Handitran, the city’s rideshare-like transportation service for older adults and people with disabilities.
The city will pay Via Transportation $175,000 to bring in additional Via employees trained specifically on Handitran services to schedule rides during high-demand times in order to reduce wait times for riders.
Workers “will also provide feedback on potential product and operational improvements to enhance rider experience.”
The city’s transportation department will also spend $52,500 to hire a Handitran manager. The position is described as one of “temporary management support,” which will oversee daily program operation such as customer support, software training, troubleshooting and fleet management. The manager will also work with Alicia Winkelblech, director of transportation, about improving department processes.
Council approved the contracts with Via 8-0. Andrew Piel, District 4 council member, was absent.
Winkelblech said in an email that the transportation department will use “contracted support while we work to staff up” specifically in its Handitran division.
The contracts come after the city transferred Handitran operations to the microtransit company Via last fall.
Some riders reported scheduling problems and confusion in the weeks after the switch. Officials attributed the issues to technical issues associated with software changes and said they would work with riders and stakeholders on making improvements and educating riders about the changes.
Handitran requires people to provide proof of age or a note from a physician to register for the service. Those who would like to use the service can sign up online.
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