Arizona-based developer of mobility apps, data analytics and transportation management systems Metropia has revealed that during 2019 it made significant enhancements to its suite of technology platforms which are now being deployed in projects across the globe.
Powered by proprietary algorithms, data analytics and behavioural economics, Metropia’s platform provides a multidimensional demand management framework (route, departure time and mode) to support transportation system congestion-management strategies and policies. Over the last year, the company’s platform has been completely rebuilt and powered by artificial intelligence (AI), machine-learning algorithms, and behavioural economics to provide users with the ideal tool to improve their daily commute, and transportation agencies with the power to manage both their systems and travellers through the most capable trip planning app available in the market.
Metropia’s GoEzy app serves as the smartphone tool for agencies to promote and incentivize behavioural strategies that reduce traffic congestion and manage planned and unplanned events and incidents, while providing participating users with personalised and incentivised mobility options. To encourage engagement, the app incudes robust driver-friendly features, such as personalized routing and traffic-avoidance suggestions, while presenting all other mobility options. The GoEzy app has been used in two recent mobility projects:
Last year, the Texas Department of Transportation’s Houston District (TxDOT HOU) received an Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) grant from the US Department of Transportation to deploy an innovative solution that optimises available capacity while managing the region’s travel demand growth, shifts, and spikes associated with scheduled and unscheduled events impacting the region’s transportation networks. Under this grant, TxDOT HOU will deploy ConnectSmart, an advanced framework in the form of a technology platform integrating Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) and Active Demand Management (ADM) with multi-modal demand and mobility management.
The Metropia-led consultancy team was selected to provide the technology platform through which demand is actively managed and traveller behaviour is influenced in real-time to achieve operational objectives. Through the deployment of the ConnectSmart congestion-management platform and companion white-labelled version of Metropia’s GoEzy trip planner mobile app, ConnectSmart will integrate various advanced mobility technologies and travel data sources to provide predictive multi-/inter-modal travel time, cost, and reliability information. ConnectSmart will simultaneously make use of behavioural economics to encourage the use of alternative or active mobility options that are ecologically friendly.
Following a competitive process which concluded in November 2019, Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) selected the Metropia-led team to deploy its ‘UMAJI+’ Mobility-as-a-Service and Tool (MaaS&T) platform for the entire island over the next two years. UMAJI, which loosely translates as ‘Your Best Companion’, is using a white-labelled version of Metropia’s GoEzy app to serve as a complete-trip companion for all urban commuters and inter-city travellers regardless of which transportation mode they may choose.
Multiple inter-city rail and bus services have been seamlessly integrated into GoEzy’s trip planning features. Metropia’s Transit Hailing technology will play a critical role in uniting ridesharing services to address first-and-last mile obstacles and allow for shared-trip taxi and vanpools. Employee-based carpooling further explores the opportunity to reduce SOV (single-occupancy vehicle) usage for congested employment centres and corridors.
