Towson University Tags NextBus for Improved Shuttle Service

Filed Under AVL Systems, Feature Stories, Real-time Passenger Information Systems, Transportation Trends, University Transit

Maryland school invests in transit technology to better serve its community of shuttle riders.

With nearly 20,000 students, Towson University is the second-largest public university in Maryland. As a metropolitan university, Towson combines research-based learning with practical application. Their many interdisciplinary partnerships with public and private organizations throughout Maryland provide opportunities for research, internships and jobs. U.S. News & World Report ranked Towson University ninth in the Public Universities-Master’s (North) category for its 2008 America’s Best Colleges issue.

Towson University runs shuttle routes both on-campus and off-campus to serve campus visitors and the general campus community. Community members are urged to park their vehicle in a designated lot and use the shuttle to access other locations on campus. Para-Transit service is also available to both locations during the scheduled hours of service.

Beginning on the first day of classes in 2009, Towson will expand service to include more locations to better serve community members living in apartments or residential areas near the stops.

NextBus Technology to Enhance Reliability and Efficiency of Shuttle Services

The university is investing almost $90,000 in leading edge transit technology that will improve both rider experience in the efficiency of shuttle management.

Highlights of the project include:

1. Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), Automatic Passenger Counting (APC), and Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) will be installed on 12 vehicles.

2. Real-time Passenger Information System (RTPIS) components purchased include: SMS text messaging, a telephone interactive voice response (IVR) system with local phone number access, the NextBus passenger information website, a special WAP-enhanced website for PDA and cell phone users, and 3 Ruggedized Transit Display (RTD) LED signs.

3. The dispatcher will be able to communicate with the drivers using two-way text messaging built into the Mobile Data Terminals.

4. The automatic passenger counting data will be transmitted in real-time and made available to the agency management as well as the passengers.

5. The AVL system will also be integrated with on-board vehicle/engine sensors to transmit data on such things as engine temperature, coolant level, and engine RPMs.

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