API Enhancements - Application Program Interface Software Enhancements

Ride Alliance is a collaborative project amongst the Denver metro area human service transportation (HST) providers and information and assistance (I&A) agencies utilizing an electronic method to exchange trip information data through a clearinghouse (aka Trip Exchange, data exchange hub, or Hub). The Trip Exchange was originally developed by DemandTrans through a Mobility Services for All American’s grant and was written as publicly available code using the Java programming language. The scheduling software programs exchange data through application program interfaces (API’s) or an Adapter that allows data exchange. The main goal of the project is to enable HST providers to increase the number of trips provided (either by providing trips that could not previously occur and/or by increasing the number of passengers on vehicles). The HST providers and I&A agencies use the Hub for trips they cannot complete on their own, in the hopes that another agency can provide them.

The Hub is directly linked to a core scheduling software system residing at DRCOG developed by Routematch Software. DRCOG’s Routematch system has the ability to interact with other agencies and/or customers via web portals. The web portals allow other I&A agencies and HST providers without (compatible) scheduling software to exchange trips through the Hub. The use of web portals allows the entire DRCOG region to be involved with Ride Alliance. Through the course of the Project, the partnering HST providers and I&A agencies identified several enhancements that were needed to make the Hub more functional.