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May
31
Top 5 Student Complaints: NextBus Breaks Barriers to Student Ridership
Filed Under AVL Systems, Feature Stories, University Transit
If you help administer a university transit system, you may have heard enough student complaints to last not just a career, but a lifetime. NextBus has also heard it all, and is ready to help you resolve those top concerns that limit their use of university bus services.
This article offers tips on addressing the Top 5 student complaints regarding university transit. Read (and ride) on!
- My bus comes early or late; the system is slow and unpredictable.
NextBus GPS technology is currently the best way—short of an army of volunteers with handheld radios—that can inform students of the exact arrival time of the bus they’re waiting for.
This Real-Time Passenger Information System is simple and automated, requiring no additional personnel. Buses are equipped with GPS transmitters that instantly relay their location to satellites, which in turn transmit this data to LCD displays located at bus stops or student gathering areas. These displays are updated continuously; information is typically no more than a few seconds old.
The NextBus website likewise contains bus arrival data (which can be uploaded automatically to a university-run site), and riders with Internet-enabled cell phones can access updates anywhere, anytime.Just imagine: students can literally roll out of bed and see exactly when their bus will arrive. Just knowing whether to run or walk to their stop can make a positive impact on stress levels and can increase student satisfaction with transit services. - I can’t figure out how long it will take me to reach my destination.
NextBus systems automatically “know” if there are traffic delays and relay this data to LCD displays, cell phones, and www.nextbus.com. This means students can anticipate delays and arrive at class on-time, while professors can teach with fewer interruptions. - I don’t know which bus line to use.
NextBus real-time data includes the bus’s destination, which means students can feel assured of arriving at, say, English instead of Biochemistry. - I don’t know where to find the bus schedule.
Often students are often overwhelmed with their academic and personal lives and do not want to find, print, or carry a bus schedule, especially a static list of ideal arrival times that does not reflect reality. The NextBus system eliminates the need for static schedules, which can increase ridership while also reducing administrative overhead. - How will I know if my bus is delayed?
Real-Time Passenger Information is the first technology to inform riders of delays when they happen—with no added programming such as signage, separate web updates, or traffic monitoring personnel. Students can accurately estimate their transit time just by checking their mobile phone, the NextBus website, or LCD displays.
Do these student complaints sound familiar? If so,we can help eliminate them.
NextBus has helped reduce student complaints at Rutgers University by 35%, and has successfully partnered with major U.S. transit authorities including those in Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA, and Chapel Hill, NC.
NextBus currently operates in 20 U.S. states and is rapidly expanding. For more information on bringing Next Bus to your location, contact Whitney Sones.
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