Editor’s note: Today’s article comes from Joel DeYoung, VP of Software Development at Spare. Joel shares how Spare is using Google Maps Platform to help transit agencies deliver more predictable, reliable service to the millions of passengers who depend on paratransit.
Every day, paratransit services enhance the lives of millions of people across North America. For people who struggle to get to work or medical appointments independently, paratransit is a lifeline. It transports them from A to B. It connects them to a social network. It gives them the freedom to thrive.
At Spare, we take this responsibility seriously. Arriving late to a dialysis appointment or being left stranded without knowing where your driver is can be devastating. That’s why in June 2025, we launched Spare Live Traffic, powered by Google Maps Platform. This integration delivers real-time, traffic-aware routing, transforming how the hundreds of transit agencies we work with across North America deliver paratransit services.
Modernizing a legacy industry
Paratransit operations are complex. You might have hundreds of vehicles on the road at any given time, each carrying multiple riders with different pickup and drop-off locations, varying time constraints, and specific accessibility needs.
However, many providers in this market still rely on historical traffic patterns rather than live conditions. This means dispatchers must manually intervene when there are delays, which can add up to 20% more time to each journey. Meanwhile, publicly funded transit agencies are constantly asked to do more with fewer resources. We knew automated, live-routing would help agencies meet their regulatory requirements while delivering the quality of service that riders deserve — all within budget.
Navigation SDK provides the intuitive in-app turn-by-turn instructions as well as road speed limits and instant traffic awareness.
When it came time to choose a mapping and navigation partner for Spare Live Traffic, we worked with Woolpert Digital Innovations to carry out an exhaustive evaluation of providers. We set up a test framework. Put developers in cars. Drove around Vancouver during rush hour. By actively testing the lived experience of drivers in the field, we could objectively measure how various platforms handle real-world scenarios.
Google Maps Platform outperformed the competition by a big margin in just about every category. The quality of the live traffic information was outstanding. The ability to present a realistic picture of what’s actually happening on the ground was unmatched. Usability was streets ahead.
Building solutions that work in the real world
This is how Spare Live Traffic works. Google Maps Platform Mobility services give it the power to solve problems that have a real impact on people’s lives. Our driver app now uses Navigation SDK, which provides the intuitive in-app turn-by-turn instructions that everyone's familiar with from using Google Maps. It also gives us features that our previous solution didn’t have, such as road speed limits and instant traffic awareness.
If there’s a traffic accident ahead, sudden congestion, or road closure, drivers are automatically routed around it without any manual intervention from dispatchers. We’re the only provider out there to partner with Google Maps Platform to use live real-time traffic information in this way. Other platforms might show some traffic information, but we use it to optimize trips in real time. That’s the key difference.
Drivers are automatically routed around traffic accidents, sudden congestion, or road closures without any manual intervention from dispatchers.
Behind the scenes, our AI-driven Spare Engine is constantly working with Routes to understand travel times and optimal routes across dozens of pickup and drop-off points at once. When you’re juggling that many moving pieces — 10 to 50 locations at any time — having instant access to accurate, current routing data means our AI can make smart decisions in real time about which vehicle should pick up which rider and when.
Beyond routing, we rely on Places API and Geocoding for scenarios that might seem minor but matter enormously to our riders. For example, a driver could be dropping someone off at a large hospital campus. Where exactly should the vehicle stop? Which entrance is accessible? Can a large paratransit vehicle pull over safely on that side of the street? Google Maps Platform understands these nuances, and that level of detail ensures every passenger gets dropped off safely and with dignity.
Real impact for drivers, dispatchers, and riders
The results are already game-changing. For some customers with a growing ridership, we’re seeing their on-time performance (OTP) improve by 2%, along with increasing productivity by 18% in boardings per vehicle hour — allowing them to serve the growing ridership without increasing their vehicle hours. For others, we’re seeing OTP improve anywhere from 3-10% without any reduction in productivity. This optimization layer transforms how real-time traffic data can be turned into changes in manifests that improve operational efficiency.
Behind the scenes, our AI-driven Spare Engine is constantly working with Routes to understand travel times and optimal routes across dozens of pickup and drop-off points at once.
The response from dispatchers at our transit agencies has been really positive. They’re looking at screens showing all their vehicles in real time, and when a driver gets automatically rerouted around an accident, dispatchers understand why without needing to manually intervene. That’s had a huge impact on their workflow. Now, they have time to focus on big-picture work such as day-to-day operations.
For drivers, Spare Live Traffic ensures that our app continually gives them rational directions to where they need to go. Less stress. No switching apps mid-route. We’ve heard reports of users of competing products where drivers have to pull out their personal phones to figure out navigation because their driver app isn’t giving them what they need. That’s a complete failure.
Most importantly, we’re delivering smoother, more predictable trips for riders. We’re getting them to where they need to go — on time, and in comfort.
Google Maps Platform directs drivers to specific drop off and pickup locations which provides a more rider-friendly experience.
Setting a new standard for transit operations
As we look ahead, we’re exploring predictive traffic modeling using AI to prevent late trips before they even happen, and we’re working on tighter integration of microtransit and paratransit operations for our agencies. We’re also planning to expand Google Maps Platform across our entire product suite, including our rider-facing app.
We’re trying to set new standards for the entire industry. Integrating Google Maps Platform — which we believe is best-in-class in the navigation, real-time data, and geospatial data space — accelerates our path towards creating a fully automated, trustworthy transit ecosystem with no manual intervention from dispatchers.
Ultimately, for us, it’s about creating more livable cities and improving the lives of the people who depend on paratransit to maintain their independence and dignity. Google Maps Platform has given Spare the precision and reliability we need to help our agencies deliver this.
