Challenge
In the years following COVID, the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) experienced a shift in travel patterns that placed new demands on both its fixed-route network and its GoZone on-demand service. As ridership grew, DCTA faced the challenge of meeting this demand in a sustainable way while also reducing overlap between services. The agency needed a clearer understanding of how riders were using GoZone compared to fixed routes to make strategic service planning decisions that balanced efficiency, cost, and access.
Solution
To support DCTA’s planning team, our team developed an interactive web application that combines detailed GoZone trip data with potential fixed-route alignments. The tool allows staff to test scenarios, visualize travel patterns, and calculate potential operating cost savings. By estimating how many on-demand trips could shift to fixed-route service, the application helps identify opportunities to improve route frequency and evaluate new fixed-route alignments. It also provides clear outputs that can be shared with the public and the board, making discussions about service tradeoffs more transparent and grounded in data.
The Outcome
Turning Rider Data into Smarter Transit Planning in Denton County
With this tool, DCTA can stretch its budget further while continuing to improve access for riders. The ability to evaluate scenarios quickly and clearly has made service planning more responsive and has eased pressure on the GoZone system. Riders benefit from increased reliability, whether they depend on fixed routes for daily trips or use GoZone for first- and last-mile connections. The application continues to guide conversations about how DCTA can adapt its services to meet evolving community needs.
