Cumberland County awards routing software contract for transit system; vendor supports future micro‑transit

Cumberland County commissioners approved Resolution 2025-521 on a unanimous voice roll call to award a contract for scheduling and routing software for the Cumberland Area Transit System (RFP 25-30).

The County selected a vendor whose platform county staff said is designed for paratransit operations and can be expanded to support micro‑transit and fixed routes. "They were the only company that has the capability of us to, integrate, micro transit in the future and to create fixed routes," said Susan Suarez, identified in the meeting as "the project director of Complementary Transit Systems," who presented the procurement and answered commissioners' questions.

Suarez told commissioners the system includes customer service and reporting tools needed for grant reporting and ridership profiling. She said the vendor will provide in-person training and that the county expects the software to be in use by Nov. 1, with additional routing and service elements phased in after implementation. "By November 1 the software will be up and running," Suarez said. "The actual routes will not be up and running by Nov. 1. What we'll be doing is getting an individual to come in to help set up fixed routing."

Commissioners asked whether the system could integrate routes recently announced in South Jersey. Suarez replied it can, saying, "We can integrate micro transit regardless of where they're going in the county." She also said the county chose the vendor in part because of its ability to combine larger buses and smaller vehicles under the same routing platform.

The County closed the vote on the resolution after a short discussion. Commissioners and county staff said the software will support existing paratransit operations and allow the county to expand or pilot micro‑transit services in the future.

A county official said the vendor will provide on-site training and customer‑service support and that a phased rollout will follow procurement and training.

Votes at the meeting were recorded by roll call as in the public record; the board approved the resolution on the motion and second presented during the meeting.

The county's next steps, according to presenters, include vendor-led training and follow-up work to configure routes and reporting required for grant compliance.