Achieved through optimized caching and coding
Smart ferry solutions: Optimizing speed, accessibility, and cost
Exemplifi partnered with the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) to redesign the SF Bay Ferry website, improving mobile accessibility, real-time ferry tracking, and overall performance.
Project overview
Integrate real-time ferry tracking and mobile-first optimization.
Streamline navigation for easier access to ferry schedules and service alerts.
Enhance the ticketing experience for seamless user interaction.
Reduce costs and boost operational efficiency through performance improvements.
Ensure long-term support through an ongoing maintenance contract.
Challenges
Previous websites lacked real-time updates, had cumbersome navigation, and were not mobile-optimized.
Passengers faced difficulty accessing ferry schedules and service alerts efficiently.
The outdated CMS delayed important updates.
Exemplifi’s redesign integrated live tracking with Swiftly API.
Optimized navigation for effortless schedule access and ensured full mobile compatibility.
Streamlined content management for faster, real-time updates.
Key improvements
Redesigned the SF Bay Ferry website to significantly enhance user experience, accessibility, and functionality.
Streamlined navigation for easier access to ferry schedules and service alerts.
Integrated real-time updates through the Swiftly API for accurate, live schedule changes and alerts.
Fully optimized the website for mobile use, ensuring a seamless experience across all devices.
Revamped the CMS, allowing WETA to update schedules and service alerts instantly for timely communication with passengers.
Discovery
Exemplifi worked closely with WETA to analyze user pain points and technical limitations. The primary challenges identified included poor mobile usability, lack of real-time tracking, and difficulty in accessing schedules and alerts. Our approach focused on enhancing user experience, improving accessibility, and integrating real-time data to provide passengers with up-to-date and easily accessible ferry information.
Define
We set clear objectives to improve website functionality and efficiency, focusing on enhancing mobile accessibility, implementing real-time ferry tracking, streamlining content management for quicker updates, and optimizing performance to reduce costs and ensure fast access to ferry information.
Design
Exemplifi chose Drupal as the CMS for scalability and flexibility in managing ferry schedules and alerts. We integrated Swiftly’s API for real-time tracking, optimized performance with LiteSpeed caching and FastAPI microservices, and restructured navigation for an intuitive, user-friendly experience.
Project impact
Explore
A few unique solutions we designed for this client
We created a customized Hornblower Payments widget to simplify event ticket booking for SF Bay Ferry passengers. It automatically fills in the date and destination when users select an event, streamlining the process on a single page for a faster, easier experience.
We integrated Swiftly’s API into SF Bay Ferry’s platform to enhance real-time ferry tracking. The integration provides live route and schedule updates, with real-time ferry movement details displayed directly on the website via Swiftly’s iframe and API. Users can interact with the map to select a ferry stop and view live movement, ensuring a smooth travel experience. Tailored fonts, styles, and map aesthetics were applied to align with WETA’s branding, providing a cohesive visual experience.
We improved website speed and reduced costs by using LiteSpeed caching and FastAPI microservices. This allowed faster loading, better handling of real-time data, and an 80% reduction in AWS costs by optimizing how data is processed.
Gold standard accessibility achieved for SacRT
High-performance transit platform with interactivity, API-driven alerts
