Pace Suburban Bus recently launched a new website that is easier for riders to use, more accessible to people with disabilities, and easier for Pace staff to update and maintain. It was developed with assistance from Clarity Partners, a Chicago-based, minority-owned management and technology consulting firm, and is supported by Acquia’s cloud-based technology.
The site’s new features include:
- Mobile-friendly design: 74% of our site’s visitors now access the site using mobile devices. With a responsive design that changes based on screen size, the new site works much better for riders checking in on the go.
- Easier site management: The new site’s use of a modern, Drupal-based platform streamlines the content and security updating process, meaning riders will see important information and site improvements faster than ever.
- Better route pages: The most-visited pages on PaceBus.com are the pages explaining each route. The new website puts the focus on dynamic maps and real-time arrival information, has more accessible timetables, and even allows for geography-specific advertising opportunities.
- Better customer service: Better menu, search, and contact directory systems means more successful site visits, fewer calls to Pace’s customer relations department, and happier riders!
- More accessible design: After multiple rounds of user testing, the new site has achieved AA-ratings across 12 out of 14 WCAG v2.1 categories. A better general user interface also helps further reduce the time it takes for visitors using adaptive technology to navigate the site.
The new website is hosted on Acquia’s cloud-based servers, freeing space on Pace’s in-house servers and ensuring it performs well and remains secure.
“Now more than ever, Pace has to be able to communicate clearly and efficiently with passengers,” Executive Director Rocky Donahue added. “Having a modern, adaptable, and accessible website will help us do that more than any other single tool.”
“This wasn’t just a redesign, it was a complete build from the ground up. We are grateful for the Pace project team who spent countless hours over the last two years to bring us to launch,” said Chief Communications Officer and Project Manager Maggie Daly Skogsbakken. “Our project consultants, Clarity Partners, brought innovative ideas and recommendations drawn from their years of expertise in the field to help elevate our website to impressive new heights.”
PaceBus.com first launched in 1997. Its last major upgrade took place in 2007. Development of the new website was funded through a federal grant IL-90-X721. Further improvements will continue throughout the year.