Computerized scheduling to streamline ride system A state-of-the-art computerized network will streamline the way passenger routes are scheduled in the Ocean County Transportation Department's Reserve-A-Ride system. Beginning in early 2007, the county will begin implementing new software that will enhance the way rides are scheduled and tracked, said Kathleen C. Edmond, director of the Ocean County Transportation Services Department. "This is a state-of-the art highly sophisticated system that will allow us to operate more efficiently than ever before," Edmond said. Reserve-A-Ride, which is part of the county's Ocean Ride system, allows seniors and persons with disabilities who need custom transportation to a doctor's office or other medical facility to call the county in advance and schedule a ride. Transportation is provided directly from the home to the doctor's office and back. According to a press release, with the new system, which is expected to come online by April, a passenger's address, destination and other information will be fed directly into computers. The computers will then devise times and routes using digitized street maps of the county. The computer system will compare patterns, route networks and even speed limits to schedule the needed transportation routes. "All this is going to be going on behind the scenes," Edmond said. "What our passengers are going to see is improved service." Freeholder Director Gerry P. Little said the new software will improve the way rides are scheduled without sacrificing the human touch. "Anyone who calls to reserve a ride will still talk to a real person," he said. "Our operators will feed all the information into the computer, which will then output a schedule for each day." Little said similar systems are already in use by transportation agencies across the nation. "What we are doing is increasing the efficiency and capacity of our transportation system while reducing the need to buy new buses," Little said. County professionals from the transportation and information technology departments met at length with representatives from four companies that produce the needed software and components, according to the press release. The Ocean County Board of Freeholders is expected to award a $942,325 contract to RouteMatch of Atlanta Ga., for the transportation upgrades. Edmond said upgrades will be completed in two phases. The first phase, which implements the scheduling software, will be completed by the spring. A second phase, slated to be done later in 2007, will add wireless digital communication to the Reserve-A-Ride fleet. Each vehicle will be equipped with a computer terminal and touch screen that will stay in constant contact with the department's dispatchers in Toms River. The mobile data computers will allow drivers to input information on passenger pickups and travel time directly onto the screen. The transportation department is required to keep detailed records of the number of passengers carried, trips made and miles traveled in order to qualify for federal grant money. "We will be eliminating a tremendous amount of paperwork," Edmond said. Additionally, a computerized road map of the county will display the location of each vehicle for dispatchers at the Ocean Ride offices. "We will instantly be able to pull up information on every bus, including a list of passengers," she said. Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari, liaison to the Department of Senior Services, said thousands of older residents depend on Reserve-A-Ride as their only means of travel to their doctor's office. "This is a cost-effective way to improve services for our seniors and other residents who rely on Reserve-A-Ride," Vicari said.