TRC Launches WAVE Bus in Rural Communities Across Michigan

The Routing Company (TRC) is celebrating Western Washtenaw Area Value Express’s (WAVE) launch of a rural dial-a-ride service—powered by TRC’s Ride Pingo app—in Western Washtenaw, MI. With a total of ten vehicles, the service operates under the name WAVE Bus, and includes both fixed-route and on-demand transit.

“We look forward to seeing how we can enhance the customer experience for all of WAVE’s riders, in the pursuit of flexible, efficient, and responsive rural transit,” said James Cox, chief executive officer, TRC. “An open service, powered by Pingo, delivers on WAVE’s slogan of ‘Rides for All’ and on our shared commitment to connect rural communities.”

TRC is supporting WAVE’s on-demand transit needs with its full suite of Pingo products, including Pingo Access, Pingo Shuttle, and Pingo Rural.

“Since COVID, each of our demand-responsive, door-to-door service routes have averaged one passenger per hour,” said Marie Gress, WAVE executive director. “During the first days of Pingo, we saw increases to a range of 1.28 to 2.4 per hour. We also quickly identified that our services could shift, without asking donors or municipal partners for more dollars, to increase riding hours from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m., meeting the number-one request our riders had.”