Expectations are changing for paratransit agencies across the United States of America. In Florida, paratransit has been under FDOT and CTD oversight for decades. SB 1380 changed that by bringing APD into the picture. APD is an agency that focuses on human services, trauma-informed care, and protecting vulnerable populations. Their standards for direct service providers now apply to paratransit drivers.

Drivers need training on recognizing abuse or neglect. Agencies have to provide families access to GPS tracking and video footage. When something goes wrong, agencies are reporting an adverse incident to APD.

Florida is legislatively combining interior surveillance, family tracking access, and disability-agency oversight. Similar requirements are emerging in other jurisdictions as accountability expectations rise across public transit.
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What Florida's standards require

The new requirements demand a centralized platform that pulls everything together into one audit-ready view. No more chasing information across spreadsheets and email chains.

Key requirements include:

• Systematic complaint tracking with complete audit trails
• 48-hour investigation windows with automatic tracking
• Real-time GPS tracking for riders and families
• Quarterly reporting with comprehensive data
• Pattern monitoring to catch systemic issues early
• Integration with operational systems for trip context
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How Spare Resolve addresses these standards

Spare Resolve is an incident and complaint management platform built specifically for paratransit and microtransit operations.

• Automatic Trip Context: When a rider reports a concern, Resolve pulls in pickup times, driver details, vehicle data, and route history. Your team has what they need to respond quickly and accurately.
• Complete Audit Trail: Every action logged. Every status change timestamped. Every resolution is documented. When FDOT or FTA reviews your operations, you have a complete, auditable record.
• 48-Hour Compliance: Timestamped cases automatically track whether investigations start within the required 48-hour window.
• Real-Time GPS Integration: Built-in tracking lets riders and families see exactly where vehicles are, meeting transparency mandates without requiring separate systems.
• Seamless Platform Integration: Complaint data flows from rider apps, driver apps, and operations dashboards. No duplicate entry. No reconciliation headaches.
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What this means for agencies

Spare Resolve helps agencies meet current and emerging accountability standards while streamlining how teams track, investigate, and report issues.

With Resolve, agencies can:

• Reduce complaint management time
• Improve response times through automated routing
• Decrease repeat complaints through pattern recognition
• Provide location transparency that builds trust with families
• Automate quarterly reporting
• Leverage complete documentation for oversight reviews
• Meet real-time GPS mandate through core platform functionality.
• Turn complaint data into service improvements. 
• Demonstrate accountability to stakeholders.
• Build community trust through documented, responsive service. 
• Support grant applications with strong compliance records.
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Compliance that scales 

While Florida's SB 1380 requirements are specific, Spare Resolve addresses the broader accountability shift in public transit. Spare platform works for FTA requirements, ADA regulations, state mandates, and local ordinances.

Spare has powered over 20 million rides across hundreds of transit agencies worldwide, including MBTA, CapMetro, PSTA, Winnipeg Transit, and GATRA. Spare platform is built from the ground up to be highly configurable, driving responsive innovation in partnership with agencies navigating complex compliance landscapes.

When Florida's enhanced complaint handling requirements went into effect, we already had solutions built to help agencies meet new standards while improving operations and rider experience.
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Technology for modern standards

Enhanced paratransit requirements represent an opportunity to modernize service delivery, transparency, and accountability. The answer is purpose-built technology that understands transit operations, integrates with existing workflows, and turns compliance into advantage.

For systematic complaint tracking, real-time GPS transparency, instant digital reporting, automated pattern detection, and quarterly reporting, Spare’s platform provides an integrated solution already helping agencies build future-proof operations..

This isn't just about meeting regulatory requirements. It's about showing every rider and stakeholder that when something goes wrong, your agency listens, responds, and makes it right. And when things go right, riders and families can see it through real-time tracking that keeps them informed.
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Want a deeper look at how Florida's enhanced standards are changing paratransit operations?

Chad Ballentine is a Demand Response Transformation Executive at Spare, with over two decades in public transit leadership. Before joining Spare, he was the VP of Demand Response at CapMetro, where he oversaw ADA paratransit, bikeshare, an expansive microtransit system, and led accessibility initiatives that reshaped mobility for riders with disabilities.

According to Chad, "This represents a large change that sends a clear message: Paratransit is no longer just about moving our passengers from Point A to Point B. It is about extending the 'Duty of Care' from the facility to the road and introducing radical transparency." 

Read the full analysis: Public Accountability in Transit, Meeting Florida's Enhanced Standards

Chad breaks down the legislative shift, what "duty of care" actually means on the road, and how technology requirements fit into broader operational changes that agencies need to make.