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Welland to Install Real-time Passenger Info and Stop Annunciation System on 15 Buses

NextBus^® will soon be helping bus passengers in the city of Welland, Ontario thanks to a contract won by its parent company, WebTech Wireless.  The NextBus^® real-time passenger information solution including the first sale of the NextBus^® Stop Annunciation System, which provides riders with visual and audio information on the bus’ route and next stop.

The contract includes an initial installation of the system on 15 buses and represents an approximate value of CDN $140,000. The City of Welland, located in the Regional Municipality of Niagara, has a population of 50,000 and currently operates buses on 14 routes.

Owen Moore, COO at WebTech Wireless said, "NextBus^® is also proving to be highly adaptable to customer needs, and we’re very pleased that when Welland Transit needed a very cost-effective bus stop announcement system, they chose our NextBus^® suite over that of competitors."

Commenting on the sales, Scott Edmonds, WebTech Wireless’ President and CEO said, "We’re seeing that activity in the government sector for our InterFleet^® and NextBus^® solutions is strong and growing as more and larger government agencies are becoming aware of the technological superiority and potential for customization that our products provide. I’m very pleased with the work of our InterFleet ^®and NextBus^® teams as they continue to outpace our competitors in pursuit of rewarding contracts such as these and others on the horizon."

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.

The Happy Bus System Will Now Make Riders Even Happier By Getting Them Where They Want to Go On-Time

Faculty and staff, as well as Slippery Rock University students, are now just one phone call away from tracking the arrival of the next bus. The Student Government Association(SGA) recently installed the GPS-based NextBus passenger information system on the campus buses it operates to help SRU become more environmentally friendly while providing up-to-date bus stop information.

The SGA Shuttle made its debut route around the campus loop in January of 1994. The Shuttle, or the "Happy Bus" as it’s affectionately known to many students, has been a Slippery Rock icon ever since.

The Shuttle takes trips to various regional shopping centers throughout the year.  In August of 2008, a second Shuttle was added and new routes were created to get students where they need to be.

The nine-stop, on-campus 20-minute route runs 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays; the 12-stop, off-campus 30-minute loop runs 7:20 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. The evening route runs 4:30-9 p.m., and the late-night bus, operated Thursday through Saturday, runs 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Passengers can now access information about the popular “Happy Bus” schedules either by a dedicated phone line or by selecting “Slippery Rock University” on the NextBus.com website. The system tracks both the on-campus bus and its off-campus cousin that travels to area apartment complexes and stores.

Improving Sustainability with Leading Edge Technology

Tyson Johnston, SGA vice president for public relations, said the idea for the bus schedule computer systems was submitted by SGA to the Green Fund last spring.

“We applied for a Green Fund Grant for $20,000 to help pay for the system, and were selected to receive funding,” Johnston said.

The new systems cost $40,000 with SGA funds covering the remaining half.

“They can hop on a nice warm bus and come to campus,” Johnston said. In addition to saving time, riding the bus will also help faculty and staff save money on gasoline.

Johnston said the system also allows the SGA to count the number of passengers on the buses at any given time as well as track at which stops passengers are getting off.

“Those reports are helpful because it lets us know which stops are being used, which aren’t, and it allows us to make our schedule better,” Johnston said.

One commenter to a NextBus article in the student news site,TheOnlineRocket.com indicated how useful the new system can be:

You can use your Smartphone to get the arrivals information, you can use SMS Texting, you can set alarms that tell you when the bus is coming a set number of minutes before it is predicted to arrive, i.e. send an alert 12 minutes before the bus is predicted in real time to arrive at my stop every weekday morning.

NextBus Info Simplifies System Management

Reporting tools enable efficient operation of the shuttle system. For example, SGA’s Johnston noted that the system also allows the SGA to count the number of passengers on the buses at any given time as well as track at which stops passengers are getting off.

“Those reports are helpful because it lets us know which stops are being used, which aren’t, and it allows us to make our schedule better,” Johnston said.

All in all, the NextBus system will improve transportation life for both riders and managers.

Bus Information Anywhere Proves Life Changing for DC Area Bus Commuter

In the 3 months since its official launch in the Washington DC metro, the NextBus real-time passenger information solution has proved invaluable for 1000s of busy commuters who have to negotiate the complex local transit system.

Blogger, Eyder Peralta, is an NPR associate producer on social media and has grown to love the NextBus service and the related iPhone application. As he writes in a recent post, Practical Technology Can Be Sexy:

Having used it for more than a month, I haven’t waited for a bus more than three minutes.

It has literally changed my life. It means an extra 10 minutes playing with my baby in the morning. It means finishing off my cup of coffee, when in the past I’d drop it off in the sink completely full. It means that I don’t have to curse under my breath when a bus — 30 minutes delayed — finally arrives with three others right behind it. It means I don’t have to agonize about whether I just missed a bus by a minute so I’m stuck.

Eyder is particularly fond of a DC-specific iPhone application, NextBusDC that provides a rich variety of functions:

• The ability to find nearby bus stops instantly
• Bookmarking of favorite stops and routes for convenience
• Interactive route maps, zoom and click on a stop for bus times
• Supports arrival predictions for WMATA buses

Eyder concludes, “Most technology now is about coolness; it’s about ways to entertain your eyes and ears and hardly ever about the simple, practical things in life. But what something like NextBus taught me is that practical tech is the sexiest tech.”

There’s nothing better than technology that makes daily life easier.  At NextBus, that’s our objective: To make life easier for transit execs and riders alike. It sure looks like we’ve achieved our objective for Eyder Peralta.

Use a Real-Time Reporting System That’s Available on the Web 24/7

So many vehicles. So many routes. So many riders. So many variables. Running a modern transit system presents daunting challenges for the very best transportation executives.

Having the right reporting tools in place make a dramatic difference in your team’s ability to operate your system at peak efficiency in spite of the many variables your system faces day in and day out.

The Right Reports Simplify Transit Operations in Even the Largest and most Complicated Systems.

NextBus management reports provide transit executives and supervisors a set of powerful tools to manage their fleet. With these tools, managers get reports on the activities and performance of a single vehicle or route or multiple vehicles and routes selected by the manager. All are easily accessible over the Internet.

The reports are simple to use and provide essential management information, including details on vehicle headways and timepoint schedule adherence.

Management reports are essential for understanding where, why, and how problems are occurring in the system. This knowledge gives dispatchers and supervisors insight into ways to better distribute their resources and results in smoother system operations.

NextBus management reports are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing up-to-the-minute information. Data is stored indefinitely so that valuable reports comparing current and archived data can be created and analyzed.

NextBus standard reports cover most of the information required for managing headway and schedule adherence, from a list of vehicles running and job scheduling, to more complex reports covering details of individual vehicle runs timepoint adherence, and others.

Standard NextBus management reports will enable you to improve:

• Schedule adherence
• Headway management
• Missed blocks
• Vehicle reporting
• Bus operator performance

Performance measurement becomes an easier task with the right set of tools. NextBus management reports provide information you need to optimize your transit operations.

These days, with severely strained resources, those management tools are more important than ever.

Investment in Real-time Passenger Information Systems Can Maintain Service Quality

2009 has seen dramatic cuts in funding for public transit systems across the United States. This comes at a time when Americans are opting increasingly for public transit as a sustainable and affordable alternative to private automobiles.  Fortunately, NextBus can provide affordable solutions that deliver tangible operational benefits in these challenging times.

As Transportation for America recently described the dramatic increase in demand:

Americans took nearly 10.7 billion trips on public transportation in 2008, a four percent increase over 2007 and the highest level since 1956, according to the American Public Transportation Association. Public transportation use has increased 38 percent since 1995 — nearly triple the growth rate of the population of the United States. Contrast this with a 3.6 percent drop in vehicle-miles traveled in 2008 according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Public transportation advocates like Transportation for America work to persuade Congress of the need for adequate, predictable funding. Director, James Corless emphasized: “As employers and commuters everywhere know only too well, public transportation is an essential service that is critical to our economy.”

And, yet, cost cuts are making it difficult to meet this increased demand with existing processes and technology.

Affordable Options from NextBus to Maximize Operational Efficiencies in Spite of Cost Cuts

Because the realities of strained resources that face public transit executives will like persist for the medium term, they can mitigate the negative effects by implementing advanced passenger information technologies.

1. 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. Intelligent transportation 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 improve on-time performance on all routes.
2. Provide a highly predictable route system. An efficient transit system requires a high degree of predictability. 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.
3. 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. Our passenger counting capabilities smooth passenger demand spikes throughout the day and reduce demand for additional vehicles during peak periods.
4. Cope with high cost of fuel. Realtime passenger information enables you to minimize the
   use of expensive fuel without compromising 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.

Effective Use of  NextBus Technology Can Overcome Cost and Passenger Pressure in Major Transit Systems.

The financial challenges that face our municipalities are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Nor is the increased use of public transportation.

NextBus real-time passenger information systems are enabling more than 65 municipal, university, and corporate transit systems to operate at peak efficiency in spite of tough financial and rider pressure.

Goal to Make One of Most Efficient Systems in the U.S. Even More Efficient.

Real-time Data Available in Multiple Formats for Passengers

The real-time data is available to passengers in several formats.  Stop predictions and real-time location maps are available on the web – linked from www.unitrans.com or directly at www.nextbus.com.  The real-time information is also available in an automated phone system, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. 

This system can be accessed through the standard Unitrans telephone information number 752-BUSS or dialed directly at 530-204-5529.  To use the phone system, riders only need to know the 3-digit stop number for the stop they are using.  This stop number is now included next to the Unitrans logo on all bus stop signs and is also available through the NextBus web site. 

NextBus also offers rider alerts, to provide riders an automated message when their bus is a selected number of minutes away.  The web site provides instructions on how to use this feature for SMS text messaging, PDAs, iPhones, or standard email.  Additional features will be added in the future, such as displays at major terminals and stops.

Unitrans Operations Improved with Real-time Passenger Data

More detailed real time information is provided to Unitrans dispatchers to assist in handling disruptions in the schedule and to assess where problems are with buses being overcrowded or running late.  The system also provides archived data that Unitrans can use to evaluate existing services and proposed changes. 

The ultimate goal of the real-time system is to make Unitrans easier to use for both regular and occasional riders and to make the one of the nation’s most efficient transit systems even more productive. 

History of the Unitrans System

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.

All Unitrans drivers and supervisors, as well as most support staff, are UC Davis students working part-time. Their drivers undergo extensive training and testing prior to going into service. Unitrans safety record is among the best among public transit systems in the U.S. All of their employees pride themselves on providing safe and friendly service.

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. Unitrans executives can optimize their operations to be both cost efficient and environmentally friendly by getting maximum use from minimum resources.

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.

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.

12,000+ Red, White, and Blue Signs Ready for Imminent WMATA Roll Out of Real-time Passenger Info for Greater Washington DC Metro Area

The extensive bus network of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Agency is preparing for the July 1 roll out of advanced NextBus technology.

Operating the 5th largest bus system in the US, WMATA serves a population of more than 3.5 million. The agency operates more than 1000 buses on 180 lines and 332 routes with more than 12,000 stops.  The NextBus system will simplify system operation by providing a rich suite of real-time data and management reports.

Bus passengers will now benefit from the same kind of timely arrival info  they now receive on WMATA’s Metrorail system.  The most obvious indicator of the soon-to-launch NextBus service are the new signs that have sprouted all over the DC metro area.

Each of the round, red, white and blue Next Bus signs posted at  Metrobus stops includes a unique, identifying bus stop number and the phone number to call to get real-time bus arrival information for that bus stop. Signs currently are being posted at more than 12,000 Metrobus stops in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

Easy to Use System for All Bus Passengers

Passengers first need to look for the bus stop number on the Next Bus sign located at the Metrobus stop then call 202-637-7000. Say “Next Bus” when prompted. Enter your bus stop number and bus route number when prompted. You will hear the estimated arrival time of the next bus at your stop. For those passengers using a bus stop with an LED sign, the continuously updated information on the next bus’ arrival will be posted for everyone to see.

Riders can also visit Metro’s Web site: MetroOpensDoors.com or wmata.com and click on the link to the Next Bus page.  Passengers quickly access arrival info by entering their bus stop number or specifying the Metrobus route number they want, indicating the direction they are traveling and selecting the right bus stop from the list or map. Next Bus will provide the estimated arrival time of the next bus at your stop. 

Riders can also can get the bus arrival times on other wireless devices such as iPhones.

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