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StarMetro Updates Trip Planner with Jan. 21 Changes
Today, customers may begin using StarMetro's online trip planning application to plan trips using the new routes and schedules, which take effect on Saturday, Jan. 21. To access the new information in the trip planning application, customers must input '01-21-2012' in the date field. The trip itinerary using this date, or any date after January 21, will reflect the new routes and schedules.
Customers wishing to use StarMetro's trip planning application to plan trips using the current system may continue to do so. To access today's routes and schedules, customers must input today's date, or any date prior to January 21, in the date field.
"In order to educate customers on our upcoming changes, we felt that it was necessary to update the trip planning application," said Ron Garrison, executive director of StarMetro. "This update will allow customers to plan their trips using the trip planning application before heading out to their StarStop the morning of Saturday, Jan. 21."
As part of an infrastructure update, StarMetro's trip planning application, as well as other online e-services, may be down from January 14 - 17.
By 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20, StarMetro's 'Maps and Schedules' tab on its webpage will be completely updated with the new route and schedule information.
StarMetro's brand new Ride Guide, which will reflect the January 21 changes, will be available in C.K. Steele Plaza starting on Saturday, Jan. 14. Customers may also download a copy of StarMetro's new Ride Guide at Talgov.com/StarMetro.
StarMetro Signs Contract with All-Electric Bus Vendor
StarMetro, the City's mass transit provider, is one step closer to making its fleet more environmentally friendly. StarMetro signed a contract with Proterra Inc. for the construction of three brand new, zero emission, all-electric buses and a charging station.
"By replacing three of our diesel transit buses with all-electric buses, StarMetro would realize the elimination of almost 260 tons of carbon dioxide annually," said Ron Garrison, executive director of StarMetro. "StarMetro is dedicated to exploring and providing new, green technologies for the citizens of Tallahassee, and these all-electric buses are an integral part of that commitment."
Last year, the Federal Transit Administration awarded StarMetro over $5 million dollars in monies from the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) II grant to pursue all-electric buses.
"We hope to have these new buses on the streets serving our customers in the spring of 2012," Garrison said.
Proterra Incorporated developed and has deployed the world's first battery electric transit bus that can charge to full power in under ten minutes. Its first fleet is in operation at Foothill Transit in Pomona, Calif. The next two locations where its electric buses will become operational are San Antonio, Texas, and Tallahassee.
"We are thrilled to be working with StarMetro on this deployment," said Marc Gottschalk, chief business development officer for Proterra. "They are on the leading edge of transit agencies who recognize that battery electric buses are the best option to combat unpredictable fossil fuel prices while providing passengers a clean, quiet ride to their destination."
StarMetro Launches Fixed-Route Feeder Service
Serving the Needs of Miccosukee Hills Residents - Beginning this Thursday, August 18, StarMetro will begin providing fixed-route feeder service to the residents of Miccosukee Hills, a housing complex for seniors and disabled persons located at 3201 Miccosukee Road.
"Currently, we serve the entrance of this complex with the San Luis route, which runs along Miccosukee Road," said Ron Garrison, executive director of StarMetro. "However, we have received numerous requests from residents to include service in the housing complex."
To provide fixed-route service to Miccosukee Hills residents, StarMetro will use Dial-A-Ride vehicles to transport customers to adjacent fixed-route transfer locations. These StarStop transfer locations are located at:
- Capital Regional Medical Center, where customers may transfer to the San Luis route, and
- The intersection of Miccosukee Road and Capital Circle NE, where customers may transfer to the Red Hills route.
This new feeder service will operate Monday through Friday and adhere to StarMetro's holiday schedule. Pickup times in the Miccosukee Hills complex will be at 6:55 a.m., 9:11 a.m. and 1:06 p.m. Drop-off times will be at 9:35 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:16 p.m.
The cost for this service is $0.60 for senior and disabled customers and $1.25 for the general public. Feeder service customers will receive a transfer ticket, which may be used to transfer to a fixed route.
StarMetro staff will evaluate the performance of the feeder service six months after implementation. Additional service adjustments may be made based on ridership and specific service needs.
"It is important for us to listen to our customers, especially those customers with special needs," said Garrison. "To accommodate the request for service from residents of Miccosukee Hills, we really had to get creative; now, I think we have a solution that works for everyone."
StarMetro Introduces Online Trip Planning Application for New System
With online trip planning, customers can learn how to use the new StarMetro - Today, StarMetro has launched an online trip planning application to help customers plan their transit trips. The new online trip planning application can be found on Talgov.com/StarMetro.
"Online trip planning is another way we are making the transition to the new, multi-destination system easier for our customers," said Ron Garrison, executive director of StarMetro.
While on StarMetro's webpage, customers can enter their beginning and ending points, as well as the intended time of arrival. The online trip planning application will then return a precise travel itinerary catered to the specific request entered. Details from the application include the routes to be taken, the time spent in each route, transfer locations and even the fare total needed.
StarMetro is partnering with Trapeze Group to provide this the online trip planning application. This application is best used with Internet Explorer (7, 8), Firefox (2.5, 3.0), Safari (5) and Chrome (9).
Trapeze Group supplies transit systems with modes for improvement by delivering new technologies that support, build, manage and measure transportation services. In addition to online trip planning, Trapeze Group also offers solutions in the operations, planning and analysis and scheduling aspects of public transportation. They have worked with transit agencies throughout the country such as: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Capital Area Transportation Authority of Michigan and Mountain Metropolitan Transit of Colorado.
Customers who need additional route planning assistance should call StarMetro at 850-891-5200. Customers experiencing technical difficulty with the online trip planning application should email StarMetro.
For More Information
For more information about StarMetro services, please call StarMetro's main office at 891-5200. Other ways to view information include liking StarMetro's official Facebook page at Facebook.com/starmetrotransit or by following the organization on Twitter at Twitter.com/ridestarmetro.