Explore Live NextBus Implementation
We now have more than 50 North American transit systems using real-time reporting on 100s of routes. Please begin with a virtual visit to the new NextBus installation at MIT in Cambridge, MA--and from there to all of our live installations. Click here to begin your exploration.
Apr
9
ACTForMe.org: How to Paint a Brilliant Portrait of Public Transit
Filed Under Feature Stories, Marketing Transit, Municipal Transit, Success Stories, Transit Management Challenges | 1 Comment
AC Transit Makes Excellent Use of the Web to Turn Taking the Bus or the Train the Obvious Transportation Choice
AC Transit has created ACT for Me as “Your Guide to the Future of Public Transit.” They illustrate why AC Transit should be an integral part of your life by sharing a creative range of content—from user-generated videos, to a savings calculator, to a discussion of community and environment benefits, and the exciting future of transit.
Lots of images of happy riders with capsule explanations of their love of AC Transit make an authentic case for their service. For example, they quote Reginald James, a rider since 1986, “By taking AC Transit I don’t have to worry about rising gas prices and vehicle maintenance costs. Plus, I enjoy riding the bus. I like talking to the different bus drivers and I really appreciate the free wireless internet on the transbay buses.” Mr. James and his many fellow, real-live riders suggest that becoming an AC Transit regular would be not only the right thing but perhaps even the enjoyable thing to do.
You may well be facing challenges in marketing your systems as the smart alternative to clogged roadways and greenhouse gases. Take a look at what AC Transit is doing on the web to promote public transit 24 hours a day, seven days a week: ACTforMe.org
Apr
9
Millions of Annual Passengers to Benefit from Real-time Arrival Info at UC Davis and UCLA
Filed Under Best Practices, Feature Stories, Real-time Passenger Information Systems, University Transit | Leave a Comment
Two major University of California Campuses to Implement Leading Edge Transportation Management Solutions
Both UC Davis and UCLA operate extensive shuttle service that total more than 30 buses and 19 routes between them. Transportation executives at each location needed to improve the operation of their shuttles to deliver high quality service while simplifying transit operations.
Separately, but for similar reasons, they chose NextBus because of its competitive pricing, reputation, and solid company foundation. They wanted a stable, financially secure company that understood the transit industry and how to create solutions that are vital to transit management. They were convinced that NextBus satisfied those needs.
UC Davis: Unitrans Run by Students to Serve the Entire Davis Community Adds RTPIS
Unitrans was founded in 1968 as the University Transport System, when the Associated Students of UC Davis purchased two vintage London double-decker buses to operate on two routes.
In 1972, Unitrans was opened to the general public, with partial funding from the City of Davis. Since that time the ASUCD/City of Davis partnership has continued, and now Unitrans provides public transportation service to the entire city with 50 buses on 14 routes, carrying over 3 million passengers a year.
To make their system operate even efficiently, Unitrans has contracted with NextBus to provide 50 tracker suites with MDT, automatic passenger counting on 43 vehicles, and the telephone information system.
UCLA Also Chooses NextBus to Improve Service and Optimize Operations
The magnificent UCLA campus sits on 419 acres at the base of the Santa Monica mountains, five miles from the Pacific Ocean. Almost 40, 000 undergraduate and graduate student attend the university.
To provide sustainable transportation solutions for all those students and the rest of the university community, UCLA operates a campus shuttle system. The shuttle incorporates the use of buses and vans that are clean, wheelchair accessible and well-equipped with air-conditioning and comfortable seating. The shuttle service runs 14 buses on 5 different routes.
To help keep the shuttle running at peak efficiency, NextBus is providing 14 tracker suites with Mobile Data Terminals, 2 portable tracker suites with MDT, automatic passenger counting on 14 vehicles, and a telephone information system. These tools will deliver real-time bus information wherever riders need it from dorm rooms to iPhones.
Summing Up:
Both riders and transit executives will benefit from NextBus real-time passenger information. Riders can plan their travel efficiently because they can count on accurate arrival times. Transit executives can optimize their operations to be both cost efficient and environmentally friendly by getting maximum use from minimum resources.
Apr
8
Muni Diaries Interviews NextBus Tech Guru Michael Smith
Filed Under Best Practices, Feature Stories, Municipal Transit, Real-time Passenger Information Systems, Transit Management Challenges, Transit Trends | Leave a Comment
Mike Shares Secrets of NextBus Round-the-Clock Automated Predictions and The Productive Partnership with SF Muni
Muni Diaries is an example of blogging at its best. This is how the blog team describes themselves: We are a ragtag group of San Franciscans who love the ups and the downs, the good and the bad stories in and around the buses and light-rail cars in our city. But we can’t emphasize enough that we want Muni Diaries to be a user-generated exercise in storytelling.
Not only do they tell great stories but their obvious love of and concern for San Francisco’s public transportation system shines through their wide range of articles. Their extensive Q&A with Mike Smith will help you understand how tough transportation challenges can be managed effectively when the vendor and the transit system work together to deliver continually improved operations.
To give you a flavor of the interview and of Muni Diaries, here are brief excerpts on the topics of real-time info and partnering with SF Muni from the March 6, 2009 interview:
MD: Does somebody just sit there and manage this information, as it comes in? How does that part work?
Smith: The system is pretty much all automated, and that’s how it can run 24 hours a day. Basically all of the generated information is based on the GPS information, and that comes in real time. And also, we use historic information. We know from gathering data how long it typically takes a bus to go from one stop to another, and that’s based on time of day, and all sorts of different conditions. So the system really runs on its own. The main thing that we do is monitor to make sure it’s working and deal with configuration changes. Muni and other transit agencies, they typically make changes once every three months; sometimes there are changes in between that. Those configuration changes are always a good amount of work.
MD: You mentioned that it’s a partnership between NextBus and Muni to ensure this works properly. How often do you chat and what are some of the latest things you’ve discussed to make sure it does indeed run smoothly?
Smith: We definitely talk to them every day. It takes quite a bit of effort to make sure the trackers are working and that the configuration is correct. We also get feedback from passengers, and sometimes it’s issues we can deal with, sometimes it’s issues we need to pass on to Muni, and so we’re always doing that. And, of course, Muni passes us information, too. It’s not like you can buy a NextBus system, plug it in and expect it to work. There’s just an amazing number of complexities that happen every day. And so we always have to be monitoring to make sure the system is working.
To read all of this in-depth interview, including information on a new texting capability now being tested by NextBus, click here: Muni Diaries
Apr
8
Transit Changes at Rutgers Shared at Student Meeting Highlight Value of NextBus Reporting Tools
Filed Under Best Practices, Feature Stories, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Transit Management Challenges, University Transit | Leave a Comment
The venerable Daily Targum reported on the expected disruptions that campus road construction will cause to student and community riders of the university bus system.
Director of Transportation Services Jack Molenaar and Manager of Transportation Planning Jennifer Stuart Lane hosted a transportation forum March 25, 2009 to present the department’s proposed changes to bus routes and parking permit rates for the upcoming year.
The Rutgers community has already benefitted significantly from the NextBus system. Since its 2005 launch at Rutgers, NextBus has helped reduce student complaints by 35%. This, of course, is a relief in itself; however, fielding fewer complaint calls also leads to increased efficiency, productivity, and job satisfaction among transit employees at both the administrative and operational levels. And with 65,000 riders each day, increasing student satisfaction with transit services was no easy task without NextBus technology.
The NextBus real-time passenger system will mitigate the disruptive effect of these changes by keeping riders current on arrivals for every changed stop or altered route.
NextBus Can Isolate Instances of Bad Driver Behavior
The forum also gave an opportunity for students to express particular concerns about driver behavior. Molenaar indicated that NextBus reporting tools could identify instances of bad driver behavior from recorded videos. This enables transportation officials to take corrective action promptly.
The Daily Targum reported just how transit managers can benefit from NextBus technology:
Students raised concerns about bus drivers not stopping at stops or not stopping when they flag down the BrunsQuick Shuttle. Molenaar and Lane said students should contact the department when this happens.
“We can actually go into NextBus and track that. If you give us the time and just get the bus number we can then see yes, they did not stop for you and bring it up and show them the video and show the bus going by,” Lane said.
Molenaar said with the NextBus technology, they can go back and rewind every route and see exactly what a driver did or didn’t do and can view video at their stops, which have cameras.
“We do have drivers that aren’t good sometimes, and when they get a number of complaints we then ask that driver to be removed from service,” Molenaar said.