System and Method for Transportation

A transportation system for aggregating customers traveling along similar routes into a single vehicle, the system comprising:

• a communications interface configured to:
• receive first travel requests from a plurality of first users during a first time period, wherein each travel request includes a current location and a desired destination;
• receive second travel requests from a plurality of second users during a second time period;
• and
• receive, from a plurality of communication devices associated with a plurality of transportation vehicles, data indicative of current locations of each of the plurality of transportation vehicles;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• assign to each of the plurality of first users, a pick-up location that differs from each of the plurality of first users current location, wherein the pick-up location for each user is at least one block away from each user's current location;
• select a first transportation vehicle from the plurality of transportation vehicles to pick up the plurality of first users;
• determine a route of the first transportation vehicle to pick up the plurality of first users at the assigned pick-up locations;
• calculate an expected delay that would occur to at least some of the first users if the first transportation vehicle were to be redirected to pick up at least one of the second users;
• before pick up of all of the plurality of first users, redirect the first transportation vehicle to pick up the at least one second user when (1) the first transportation vehicle is generally traveling in a same direction as a desired destination of the at least one second user, and (2) the calculated expected delay is less than 30% of the overall travel time of the at least some first users;
• dynamically calculate an updated route of the first transportation vehicle in order to pick up a remainder of the plurality of first users and the at least one second user, wherein calculating the updated route is based at least in part on real-time traffic data received via the communication interface;
• and
• forward the updated route to the first transportation vehicle.

A method for aggregating customers traveling along similar routes into a single vehicle, the method comprising:

• receiving first travel requests from a plurality of first users during a first time period, wherein each travel request includes a current location and a desired destination;
• receiving second travel requests from a plurality of second users during a second time period;
• receiving, from a plurality of communication devices associated with a plurality of transportation vehicles, data indicative of current locations of each of the plurality of transportation vehicles;
• assigning to each of the plurality of first users, a pick-up location that differs from each of the plurality of first users current location, wherein the pick-up location for each user is at least one block away from each user's current location;
• selecting a first transportation vehicle from the plurality of transportation vehicles to pick up the plurality of first users;
• determining a route of the first transportation vehicle to pick up the plurality of first users at the assigned pick-up locations;
• calculating an expected delay that would occur to at least some of the first users if the first transportation vehicle were to be redirected to pick up at least one of the second users;
• before picking up of all of the plurality of first users, redirecting the first transportation vehicle to pick up the at least one second user when (1) the first transportation vehicle is generally traveling in a same direction as a desired destination of the at least one second user, and (2) the calculated expected delay is less than 30% of the overall travel time of the at least some first users;
• dynamically calculating an updated route of the first transportation vehicle in order to pick up a remainder of the plurality of first users and the at least one second user, wherein calculating the updated route is based at least in part on real-time traffic data received via the communication interface;
• and
• forwarding the updated route to the first transportation vehicle.