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As our nation’s capital and much of the East Coast prepares to be blasted by yet another storm, WMATA passengers will be able to minimize the time they spend freezing outdoors thanks for the NextBus real-time passenger information system.

Before the DC area’s WMATA agency implemented the NextBus solution, passengers were forced to rely on static schedules that did not reflect the kind of havoc a winter storm can bring. Although there are printed schedule might have shown that the bus would arrive at 10 AM, the effect of blizzard conditions would be felt all day long–and certainly disrupt normal arrival times.  Even in normal conditions, buses often arrive somewhat early or late, but severe weather circumstances can create drastic delays that would leave uninformed writers stuck in frosty conditions for an uncomfortable length of time.

Because NextBus predictions are continually adjusted based on actual conditions, riders need suffer interminable waits at bus stops for snow delayed buses. Instead, they can access real-time data on their PC, on their smart phone or even by dialing in on a regular phone to get the most current arrival information.

Passengers can also watch bus progress in real-time on the NextBus Live Map or Google Maps for a further reality check.

Thanks to NextBus, riders DC area riders can stay warm even in the worst of winter storms.

Intelligent Transportation Technologies Eligible Under 2009 Economic Stimulus Plan

There is finally some good funding news for transit systems in the United States. Pervasive budget cutbacks have made it difficult to run, let alone improve, public bus and rail systems. That’s about to change because of transit provisions in the stimulus plan.

You community will now have the opportunity to implement intelligent transportation technologies, such as real-time passenger information from NextBus. These solutions will enable you to serve increasing passenger loads with optimum operational and fiscal efficiency. And, we can move quickly to help you implement money-saving NextBus solutions.

Exactly how will NextBus customers benefit from investing federal stimulus dollars? 

They improve their operational productivity, reduce their need to buy new buses, and provide a service to their passengers that empowers them to better manage their time. 

Larger communities have deployed NextBus technology to reduce traffic congestion by increasing public ridership, to reduce emissions by taking cars off the road, and to help us become energy independent. 

In fact, dozens of successful implementations are delivering tangible improvements in transit systems across the country.

Passengers can view this real-time arrival information on signs at stops, at terminals, on the Web, on their cell phones, using text messaging, or through dialing a telephone for an automated response. NextBus allows passengers to reduce their overall travel time, reduce perceived waiting time, and reduce exposure to bad weather and/or crime.

In fact, not a week goes by without emails from happy transit passengers who tell us: “I love NextBus”.

Large, medium, and small transit systems rely on NextBus 

NextBus, is the North American leader in utilizing GPS and GIS technology to provide Real-Time Passenger Information, including accurate predicted arrival times and expected delays or service interruptions, to transit riders.

Three of the top ten transit systems in North America utilize NextBus and we have 50%  of the market for those universities/colleges that have implemented a real-time passenger information solution.

Our customers include such diverse organizations as San Francisco MUNI, WMATA (Washington, D.C.), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, AC Transit, Georgia Tech, and the Pennsylvania Hospital. Toronto Transit, the 3rd largest transit system in North America recently chose NextBus to encourage ridership and increase transit productivity.
To see just how our system works(in real-time), here are links to two live, real-time arrival predictions:
AC Transit Prediction

Rutgers University Prediction

Learn exactly how NextBus can make your operation more productive while increasing rider satisfaction. Simply, email our Director of Business Development, Larry Rosenshein, at larryr@nextbus.com or call him at 973-768-3606.

26,000 Students Will Soon Know Exactly When the NextBus is Going to Arrive

Located on a beautiful 300-acre campus in Fort Lauderdale, NSU has more than 26,000 students and is the largest independent institution of higher education in Florida. Nova Southeastern University is the largest independent institution of higher education in the Southeast, and it is the 6th largest independent institution nationally.

FREE Shuttle Service Serves Entire University Community

All NSU students, faculty, staff, and visitors can ride the shuttle at no charge. Their Shuttle Buses are air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible.

The service is free of charge, but riders making any connections to Broward County Transit (BCT) routes are expected to pay the appropriate fee.

20 buses on five routes will be equipped with tracker suites, mobile data terminals,and automatic passenger counters.In addition,they will be including the telephone information systemthat delivers NextBus information by voice.

The service operates on a 10 minute headway. Addition of NextBus technology will let riders know in case traffic conditions cause  the NSU shuttle bus service to arrive slightly early or late.  This means that riders can plan their travel efficiently even if buses are off schedule.

You can learn more about the NSU shuttle by clicking here. 

Toronto Transit Commission $5.2 Million Pilot Program Adds Leading Edge Real-time Passenger Information

The Toronto Transit Commission(TTC) announced the launch of its next vehicle arrival notification system on December 15, 2008. 

The TTC moves 465 million people every year – about 1.6 million riders every weekday. The TTC is the third largest public transit system in North America servicing some 4.5 million people in the Greater Toronto Area, with a network of subways, streetcars, buses, and a specialized service, Wheel-Trans, for people who require accessible transportation. The TTC is committed to meeting the growing needs of the region with subway and light rail expansion, carrying an additional 175 million riders by 2021.

Pilot Project to Serve 510 Spadina Streetcar Route Beginning in 2009

TTC Chair, Adam Giambrone, launched the pilot project at the Spadina Station streetcar platform. Customers will be able to find out when their next bus or streetcar will arrive by information display on screens in subway stations or at select TTC stops.

The pilot project will begin with the 510 Spadina route. Display screens are installed at Spadina and Union Stations. Additional screens will be installed at additional subway stations and select on-street stops in concert with the City of Toronto’s Street Furniture Program.

The TTC will be implementing many other new features to improve and enhance customer communications and the TTC experience. One of the most anticipated features in the works is the web-based trip planning application. Scheduled to be online this summer, it will give TTC users a self-serve means of planning their transit trips using routing information, timing points and walking distances.

Work to allow customers to be able to use SMS Text for information about next vehicle arrival information on all TTC surface routes begins in 2009. The final project roll-out will include a unique identifier for each vehicle stop to allow patrons to obtain specific stop information via wireless technologies (i.e. Internet and/or SMS text messaging).

  NextBus Technology Will Enable Numerous Rider Benefits

• The next vehicle arrival pilot project is designed to improve and enhance customer communications and the TTC experience. 
• TTC customers will be able to find out when their next bus or streetcar will arrive, either by flat screen monitors in subway stations or through LED screens at select TTC stops.
• Customers will receive real-time, reliable and relevant information about when the next vehicle is due to arrive. 
• The system uses Global Positioning System software.  All streetcars will be retrofitted with this prior to the end of 2008. The retrofit for buses will commence in 2009. 
• Work to allow customers to be able to use SMS Text for information about next vehicle arrival information on all TTC surface routes begins in 2009. The final project roll-out will include a unique identifier for each vehicle stop to allow customers to obtain specific stop information via wireless technologies (i.e. Internet, Smart Phones, and/or SMS text messaging).

Intelligent Transportation System Delivers Tangible ROI

Research conducted by Battelle in Northeast Florida for the U.S. DOT illustrated how an ITS delivered significant operational savings across four contiguous counties.

The Northeast Florida Rural Transit ITS project was a demonstration of successful technology deployment in four rural transit Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) agencies: St. Johns County, Putnam County, Marion County, and Flagler County. Each contiguous county had a rural population with large urban medical facilities located outside its designated service areas.

The following immediate priorities were the basis for implementing an ITS system with the NextBus type capabilities:

• Improve scheduling operations by creating tighter driver assignments and reducing the workload associated with daily scheduling, call intake, and driver-manifest creation.
• Synchronize dispatch and scheduling operations to reduce the dispatcher’s workload by providing better information to the dispatcher.
• Improve workforce management including driver assignments.
• Improve vehicle maintenance strategies

The project’s most profound effects were related to productivity, through more effective scheduling, dispatching, and fleet control. Overall, staff time requirements decreased. Productivity improvements that were experienced in St. Johns County by implementing scheduling software include:

• Reducing office staff from 9 full time equivalents (FTEs) to 4.5 FTEs, resulting in a savings of $58,000 per year.
• A decrease in staff time from four full-time operators to two despite the increase of calls from 150 per day to 300 per day.

Click here to access to full report: Northeast Florida Rural Transit Intelligent Transit System.

The transit industry is experiencing an unprecedented combination of factors that seriously affect transit service provision.  Rising fuel costs have driven many commuters to use public transit as their primary method of transportation to and from work.   To make matters worse, motor fuel tax revenues are down as Americans traveled 3.3% fewer miles during the second quarter of 2008.  The bottom line is that transit agencies are attempting to do much more with much less. That’s where ITS solutions from NextBus come in.

Read more

What We’ve Learned Recently from Our Research about Your Top Challenges

In August 2008, NextBus conducted research among transit executives to determine their most important challenges. 

The five following issues were rated extremely important by more than 75% of respondents.  That is, they ranked these issues 8, 9 or 10 on a scale of 10 in terms of importance to them. 

The NextBus suite of products can go a long way toward tackling these issues and delivering affordable solutions.

Five Major Transit Management Issues Made Manageable with NextBus Solutions 

1. How to run an efficient, on-time system.  A myriad of problems confront transit executives as they work to achieve on-time results both consistently and cost effectively.  AVL & APC technologies from NextBus empower executives by showing them what is working well and what is working poorly for every vehicle and every route.  In addition, easy to generate reports point the way to facilitating changes that can dramatically improve on-time performance for every single route.
2. How to provide a highly predictable route system.  It is impossible to run an efficient transit system without a high degree of predictability.  Moreover, it is extremely difficult to provide that predictability without AVL & APC systems that provide continuous updates–and takes into consideration random factors such as vehicle breakdowns, traffic jams, and unexpected Emergencies.  NextBus was designed from the ground up to provide accurate arrival times across a variety of routes.  Of course, this high degree of predictability benefits both transit executives and their riders.
3. How to gather highly accurate ridership and other operations performance data.  Optimal transit efficiency depends not only on getting buses and trains to each stop in time, but also on the balancing of passenger loads to prevent both overcrowding and empty vehicles.  You can leverage our passenger counting capabilities so that you can even out bus loading at the appropriate time of day on the appropriate route.
4. How to cope with significantly increased cost of fuel.  Real-time passenger information enables you to minimize the use of expensive fuel without compromising perceived service levels.  You can make a broad range of operational changes from major to minor, all of which improve efficiencies. Thus, you can serve more passengers and more routes without needing to add more buses. Because your riders receive real-time arrival information, they can make their travel plans efficiently even when buses run slightly less often.
5. How to increase ridership.  Many more passengers would take advantage of public transit if they believed it to be both efficient and reliable.  Real-time passenger information available anytime and anywhere delivers on both counts.  Because they know exactly when the NextBus will arrive-and can even receive reminder alerts in advance of that arrival–they can make riding public transit more attractive than driving private automobiles.

The bottom-line: By deploying NextBus systems, you can both simplify and improve your transit operations.  Complex decisions become much easier.

New Service to Improve Transportation Experience for Students, Faculty & Staff

The University of Baltimore shuttle service, operated by Capital Executive Transportation, is already well organized.  The university objective is to take it to the next level by making it as easy as possible for its commuter population to get where they need to go on campus on time.

They provide convenient, free shuttle service that runs in a continuous loop around campus, stopping at each of the designated shuttle stops that are shown on the campus parking map.

Although there isn’t a fixed schedule, the estimated average wait time between shuttle buses is 10 minutes which varies with traffic and road conditions. The shuttle service is also equipped to provide transportation for disabled community members.  At all times, one van in service is designed to accommodate those disabled riders.  In addition, the university runs a shuttle to and from Coppin State University. 

Once the NextBus system is installed, students and staff will be able to plan precisely on the arrival of the next bus–and to get the information on campus LED signs, on their computer, and on their cell phone, PDA or iPhone.  They can even set alarms to remind them to check for the exact arrival time of the shuttle van they want to board.

Based on more than 50 installations, the University can expect both ridership and rider satisfaction to increase soon after the NextBus system is up and running.

$9.9 Million Contract for Implementation of Real-time Passenger Information System

The Board of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) approved the recommendation for award of contracts for the Next Vehicle Arrival System to Grey Island for its NextBus System. Total value of the contracts is $9,920,000.
The TTC operates the third most heavily used transit system in the USA and Canada serving over 450 million customers annually in the Greater Toronto Area. The TTC provides this service to the City of Toronto with an extensive network of subways, streetcar lines, bus routes, and a specialized service, Wheel-Trans, for people with disabilities.

The purpose of the NextBus project is to develop and implement a system to provide TTC riders with vehicle location, vehicle arrival time, and other transit related information.

Read more

Both increased safety and convenience available wirelessly

Students at the University of North Carolina benefit from a well-run bus system operated by Chapel Hill Transit.  The student government had operated their own shuttle system from 1968 until 1974 which has now been integrated into the larger system.  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.

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