TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Salvador Llamas, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: SPARE Software Implementation for East Bay Paratransit
BRIEFING ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider receiving a report on the status of the SPARE software implementation for East Bay Paratransit (EBP) in collaboration with the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART).
Staff Contact:
Ahsan Baig, Chief Information Officer
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Safe and Secure Operations
Initiative - Financial Efficiency and Revenue Maximization
Implementation of a new software application for paratransit services will support the continued improvement and efficiencies of East Bay Paratransit operations.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
AC Transit and BART jointly manage and fund the provision of paratransit services as partners of the East Bay Paratransit Consortium (EBPC). The operational budget and governing contract of those services are reported separately to EBPC’s respective boards of directors.
There is no budgetary/fiscal impact associated with this briefing item.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
The SPARE software implementation project replaces the legacy Adept software system currently used by TransDev (EBP’s contracted Broker) in the provision of paratransit services for the EBPC. The project scope, procurement process, and software vendor selection were jointly completed by the EBPC. Upon acceptance, the SPARE software platform will be used by TransDev to deliver paratransit services for EBPC in accordance with the existing Broker contract.
In order to provide oversight of this software implementation, the following organizational structure was established consisting of AC Transit and BART staff, Broker staff and Transsight, the consultant responsible for the Project Management Oversight (PMO) services.
Transsight, in its role as PMO, serves as the program’s technical implementor for the EBPC. Their responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• punch list management and traceability matrix
• data storage planning
• risk and issue tracking
• change management and readiness impacts
• Broker system integration
• release and deployment strategic planning
• warranty hand-off management
Transsight also maintains a central SharePoint document repository that is updated daily and is accessible to the project teams. Reporting for the program executives started in October 2024 and occurs each month to share 30, 60, and 90-day status updates, risk review and key project direction.
Project Approach
Since its inception, the project has been divided into two phases. Phase I focuses on replicating existing features and functions currently used in the Adept software within the SPARE platform. Phase II will include user-facing applications. The current contract award to SPARE includes both phases I and II of the project.
Phase I Includes:
o Configuration and any revisions based on testing
o Development or fare zones and drop-down menu options
o Integration with Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Unified Dispatch (UDI) systems
o Driver device hardware planning, procurement and installation
o Field mapping, data migration, testing and full data migration to production environment
o User acceptance testing, trip optimization, reports, trip eligibility, service dry run, disaster recovery testing
o Training plans, manuals, training setup and on-site training
Phase II includes:
o Paratransit fare payment integration with Clipper 2
o Introduction of customer-facing features (e.g. trip booking)
o Rider ability to complete a fillable on-line application form for eligibility
Schedule
The SPARE Labs Software as a Service (Saas) started in September 2024 and is currently scheduled to go live in the second quarter of calendar year 2026. No extension of the project schedule is anticipated at this time. Please see Attachment 1 for the Phase I, Spare Implementation Timeline.
Efficiencies and Progress To Date
A key factor, as outlined in the project’s technical requirements, was the determination that the success of the SPARE platform was its ability to import and use the District’s quarterly fixed-route and BART station data, including 12 fare zones categorized by time of day and day type (weekday, Saturday, and Sunday). This data process has been mapped, demonstrated, and maintains the District’s adherence to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. This foundation and functionality will not negatively impact the operations and performance of the SPARE platform as it was intended with ongoing optimization utilizing real-time data.
Other business processes that will benefit from the implementation of SPARE include:
Eligibility Determinations/Client Profile for Trip Booking
Eligibility determinations through in-person assessments (IPA’s) are made and processed by Certification Analysts. Once completed the individual’s file is turned over to Customer Service Agents to develop the client profile for trip booking purposes. With SPARE, this two-step process is no longer necessary. Once a determination is made, whether it be permanent, conditional or temporary, the individuals file is automatically transmitted and available for trip booking purposes as well as referrals to the travel training team if the individual has expressed an interest in being travel trained on fixed-route bus and rail.
Scheduling
Currently, EBP accepts trip bookings until 5:00 p.m. the night before the service. The schedulers review the next day’s schedule before exporting it to the Service Providers (SP’s). With SPARE’s continuous optimization, this step will no longer be necessary because hard copy manifests will not be available to the SP’s, and routes and schedules will continue to optimize, using real-time data up until the time the trip is delivered. This should improve system efficiency and productivity.
Manifests/Trip Reconciliation
Currently 5.5 full-time employees (FTEs) manually reconcile approximately 180 hard copy manifests, or 1,800 trips each day. This manual reconciliation process will no longer be necessary with the SPARE platform.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
The first phase of UAT took place on December 10th and 11th. No fewer than two dozen Broker staff participated in testing the eligibility, trip booking, dispatching and analytic (reporting) modules of SPARE. The first phase of testing was successful and will resume in a second phase between January 24th and January 30th.
Challenges
Implementation of the program so far has not been without its challenges. As reported to the program’s executives, scheduling various subject matter experts (SMEs), including TransDev Broker staff, has understandably been a challenge. All phases of the program require input, testing and ownership of the new software. This must be accomplished while existing SMEs are performing their regular duties that impact the provision of paratransit services.
Additionally, many refinements to the SPARE software have been needed to ensure it meets agreed upon requirements. For example, completion of the design and configuration of the fare zones have impacted the contract schedule while ensuring that the trip-based fare calculations (for travel to San Francisco) are consistent with current practices.
Key Metrics
The key indicators of SPARE’s success and efficacy after the SPARE product is live, were also specified in the Request for Proposals (RFP), are outlined below:
|
Metric |
Requirement |
Current (FY 24/25) |
|
Pax/hour ADA Pax/hour |
1.8 N/A |
1.43 1.22 |
|
On-Time Performance |
95% |
94.8% |
|
Wheelchair Lift Availability |
100% |
N/A |
|
Complaints/100,000 miles |
2.0 |
28.3 |
|
Service Denials |
0 |
59* |
|
Rev Hours/Service Hours |
85% |
85% |
*Current service denials includes scheduled denials, refusals and capacity denials
Roles and Responsibilities
AC Transit and BART, as the East Bay Paratransit Consortium (EBPC), will jointly own the SPARE software application and share equal responsibility for oversight of the product. After the software is successfully deployed, AC Transit and BART will jointly implement an operations and maintenance (O&M) plan for technology maintenance and support. As the end user, the EBP Broker, Trandev, employs two full-time Information Technology (IT) managers responsible for day-to-day operation and maintenance of the software system. The District will continue partnering with BART to ensure the platform is managed and maintained in accordance with the SPARE support and licensing agreement.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
The advantage of this District update on the status of the SPARE implementation is to keep the Board apprised of the progress, efficiencies achieved to date.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
No alternatives analysis was conducted for this report.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
SR 24-421- Contract Award: Paratransit Software
SR 24-381- Funding Agreement for East Bay Paratransit Software
SR 25-268- East Bay Paratransit Software Implementation
SR 25-268 (a)- Ratification of PMO and Contactless Payment Integration
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Spare Implementation Timeline Nov 2025
Prepared by:
Patricia Broadbent, Senior Project Manager, IT Department
In Collaboration with:
Mallory Nestor, Manager of Accessible Services
Approved/Reviewed by:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Ahsan Baig, Chief Information Officer
Robert del Rosario, Director of Service Development & Planning