On an average day, Via’s dispatchers  are busy tracking 33 vehicles traveling throughout Boulder County and beyond, communicating with drivers about the hundreds of clients who are using the nonprofit organization’s transportation service to get where they need to go despite their mobility limitations. Thanks to the recent introduction of mobile tablets and wireless scheduling software, Via is on track for more efficient scheduling and ultimately, more rides for its clients.

Funded by a grant from the Federal Transportation Administration’s State of Good Repair program, the Samsung Galaxy tablets are picked up by drivers each morning along with the vehicle keys. After logging in, they are able to access their manifest (passenger pick up and drop off list) for the day. Using scheduling software from RouteMatch, the drivers can easily signal their arrival at a specific location as well as when the client is on or off the bus.  The AVLs allow the dispatchers to know where the vehicles are at all times, making it easier to add on a previously unscheduled trip for a client who may be near a vehicle location.

All of this information, including the vehicle’s current location and previous routes, is available to the Via dispatchers in real time. And while the technology is not new (large transit systems and public safety organizations have used it for many years), it’s a vast improvement over paper manifests and a two-way radio system for Via.

Lenna Kottke, executive director of Via, said the mobile technology sets the stage for the optimal management of Via’s most important resources – it’s drivers and vehicles.

“Our goal is to provide quality transportation for Via’s clients in the most effective and efficient way so they can live as independently as possible,” Kottke said. “We fully expect that new and developing technology will continue to enhance our ability to achieve our nonprofit mission.”

Last year, Via provided 126,142 one-way trips to 2,247 individuals on its door-through-door accessible paratransit service. Almost 25 percent of the trips were for medical and therapy purposes. While providing the service, Via drivers logged around 600,000 miles averaging nearly 500 one-way trips per day (Monday-Friday).

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More Partners

Community First Foundation brings back a day of giving on December 4.  Colorado Gives Day is an initiative to increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving.  Presented by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day will take place during a 24-hour period on Tuesday, December 4, 2012.   Donations will be accepted through GivingFirst.org with a goal to inspire and unite Coloradans in supporting hundreds of local nonprofits.  Via hopes to raise $15,000 by participating in this year’s Colorado Gives Day event.

More Partners

Colorado Latino Age Wave, a project of the Latino Community Foundation of Colorado, has named Mary Young, outreach specialist and travel trainer at Via, as one of three fellows who will be advocates and leaders for improving the economic health and well-being of the Latino older adult population in the metro Denver area.

The Colorado Latino Age Wave initiative was developed in response to national research that projected a rising “wave” of Latinos entering la tercera edad (third stage of life) with numbers rising 224 percent by the year 2030.

Young’s fellowship will focus on adapting On the Move!, a collaborative program of the Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council (DRMAC) and Via that teaches people to become self-sufficient bus riders, to better serve Latino seniors.

“I’ve been using public transit since I was a child. My mother never learned to drive, and we used the local bus system to get around,” Young said. “Public transportation is an excellent resource for Latino older adults, if they can learn how to easily and confidently use it. My goal is develop a travel training program that can be easily replicated by nonprofit organization serving Latino seniors.”

In addition to naming the fellows, the Colorado Latino Age Wave also announced grant awards totaling $50,000 to 10 nonprofit organizations in metro Denver. The grants will be used by community organizations to help assess their readiness and capacity to develop programs that serve the interest of the Latino aging population and highlight the contributions and assets of this emerging population in the Denver metro area.

Colorado Latino Age Wave is a project of the Latino Community Foundation of Colorado (LCFC), which is an initiative of Rose Community Foundation launched in partnership with Hispanics in Philanthropy, The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation, Western Union Foundation and individual LCFC Founders to be a resource in the community and a catalyst for positive change.

Colorado Gives Day
12/4/2012

Support Via on Colorado Gives Day! On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, Coloradans will come together to raise millions of dollars for nonprofits like Via. Last year, a remarkable $12.8 million was distributed to Colorado nonprofits. You can help Via reach its goal of raising $15,000 on Colorado Gives Day by scheduling an online gift in advance or giving online on Dec. 4.

Presented by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day is an initiative to increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving. Colorado Gives Day takes place during a 24-hour period on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

• 100 percent of your donation will come to Via. That means that no processing fees will be deducted or applied.
• When you give online any time on December 4, the value of your donation will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund so giving on this day will leverage your donation to increase the total amount Via receives.
• It’s easy, safe and secure.
• You can even pre-schedule your donation now.  Just indicate that you want your donation to occur on December 4, 2013.

Donate to Via online at any time during the 24 hour period of December 4 to “give where you live!”