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.
Jul
29
Chapel Hill Free Transit System Garners Top Livability Award
Filed Under Best Practices, Feature Stories, Municipal Transit, Success Stories, Transit Trends, University Transit | Leave a Comment
The System Run in Partnership with the U. of North Carolina Has Leveraged NextBus Technology Since 2006.
Chapel Hill won top honors in the category for cities with populations of under 100,000 for creating the fare-free transit program.
Sponsored by Waste Management, Inc., and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the City Livability Award Program recognizes mayors for exemplary leadership in developing and implementing programs that improve the quality of life in their cities.
Since Chapel Hill Transit became fare free in 2002, it has become the second-largest transit system in North Carolina. Since that time, ridership has risen from 3 million riders a year to over 7 million riders annually projected for 2009.
This program is unique in that while some university transit systems provide fare free service for university students, faculty and staff, very few communities provide free transit service to all riders. The commitment in this community went beyond the University to all citizens in the community in an effort to encourage greater usage of public transportation and reduction of reliance on the single occupancy automobile.
“The Chapel Hill Public Transit system is the foundation of our sustainable future,” said Mayor Foy. “This bus system makes Chapel Hill continue to be the kind of place people love; for us it is an investment and it has paid off big time.”
The University is a full financial partner in the transit system which operates a total of 31 routes with 83 buses and 11 lift equipped vans.
The Chapel Hill community has long encouraged the use of transit over automobile use in central areas of Chapel Hill, including the University.
Since 2006, the system has employed NextBus technology to simplify operations and improve service for all riders throughout the community.
Jul
28
DC’s Dr. Gridlock Suggests NextBus Maps to Put Riders Where They Need to Be
Filed Under Feature Stories, Municipal Transit, Success Stories | Leave a Comment
In Major Metropolitan Areas, Detailed and Current Maps with All Routes Can Improve on What’s Available in Print and PDF Format
When using large, complex public transportation systems, passengers often find it challenging to understand unfamiliar routes and bus stops. But, as they increase their reliance on public transportation they need to obtain accurate location information so that they can be in the right place at the right time in order to keep to their schedules.
The well-known DC transportation blogger, Dr. Gridlock, suggested to a frustrated rider, who found print or PDF versions unhelpful, that he consider using NextBus Google maps as his primary guide to figuring out where he was and where he wanted to go: “But you might get some satisfaction out of Metro’s NextBus page online. I’ve been using it to help track down the location of stops, in addition to its primary purpose of telling people when the next bus is going to arrive there.”
As an example, this map of the route in Chevy Chase, Maryland, enables you to drill down for find the exact location of the bus stop nearest you. It incorporates Google’s hybrid mapping capability so that you can identify landmarks to better orient yourself. Of course, it also shows you the precise location of the next bus as well.
The map is easy to navigate and to manipulate so that riders can position themselves precisely. That’s a lot simpler than trying to work with a paper map or taking the time to view or print out a static PDF file. And, that makes for a lot more happy public transit passengers.
Click here to link to the page that will generate your example map.
Jul
22
NextBus Starts Up Successfully in DC Metro Area
Filed Under Feature Stories, Municipal Transit, Real-time Passenger Information Systems, Success Stories | Leave a Comment
WMATA launched production version of NextBus July 1 in the Washington metropolitan region
NextBus is now making it even simpler for area residents to use public transport. The system serves a local population of more than 3.5 million with a massive system incorporating 1500 buses and 366 routes.
WMATA had already provided a useful tool called Trip Planner that helped commuters figure out the best way to get to their destination via a variety of public transit options ranging from the Metro to surface buses.
Now regular riders are finding it even easier to plan their travel because of accurate predictions on the arrival time of their bus anywhere in the Washington, DC area at any one of 12,000 stops.
As the Washington Post noted in a July 12 article, “This new GPS-based service provides some real-time information for Metrobus riders that Trip Planner can’t…This is a real breakthrough, because it takes a lot of the uncertainty out of bus travel.”
Perhaps, even more encouraging was first person article in the online community journal, Examiner by Jeffrey Amato, a local Web content developer who is a regular public transportation user. He admits that he began as a skeptic but wound up being a true believer in the NextBus passenger information system:
To all those naysayers out there, let me just say, I was hesitant at first to accept that this system works, but it DOES! The system routinely provides accurate timing for when the bus will arrive at your stop within a 1 to 2 minute margin of error. Pretty darn good for such an expansive transportation system, if I do say myself.
I embrace this new application though. It lets me know exactly when I need to appear, and has cut down on wasted moments of my life, spent in the various weather conditions in the DC area. Thank you metro!
And, in the brave new world of social media and Twitter, NextBus seems to be making the grade. As one DC native tweeted happily in 140 characters of praise:
RegBazile: #Nextbus also aced the arrival of my Wisc ave connection. Face it, the system works! #wmata
Get a good look at the new WMATA NextBus technology working in real-time. Click now on the WMATA.NextBus.com site.
Jul
22
When Buses Run Infrequently, Real-time Passenger Info is Vital
Filed Under Feature Stories, Municipal Transit, Real-time Passenger Information Systems, Success Stories, Transit Management Challenges | Leave a Comment
Fort Myers Beach Trolley Leverages NextBus to Make for an Easy Riding Experience
LeeTran of Fort Myers operates an extensive system of regular buses throughout the city and in surrounding Lee County–an area covering hundreds of square miles. Most of their buses operate along traditional routes with frequent schedules that empower commuters and shoppers who choose public transit over autos.
For beautiful Fort Myers Beach, they do something much different. They operate a classic trolley that covers the length of the barrier island from Fort Myers on the north to Bonita Springs.
In peak season, the trolley is the most sensible way to travel because the single N-S road is jammed with vacationers and snowbirds.
The only hitch is that the beach trolley runs with a typical headway of 40 minutes or more. That means it is essential to know when the next bus will be arriving in the direction you want to go. The team at LeeTran selected NextBus real-time information solutions to provide up to the minute alerts for riders.
In fact, we received a thoughtful email from a regular vacationer who remarked on what a positive difference NextBus had made:
I vacation in Ft. Myers every summer and just love the trolley service. Last year it was pretty helpful. This year was so much better because of NextBus. I could see when the trolley was getting very close so I could leave a store and get to the stop in time. This helps me so much.
Your passengers count on public transit to get them where they want to go. Real-time passenger information from NextBus always makes life easier for customers and transit executives even with frequent bus arrivals. But, when riders must adjust to the Fort Myers Beach trolley’s forty minute headway, LeeTran’s investment in NextBus technology really made a positive difference for its customers.