communicate2Me
THE MILESTONES OF MASS TRANSIT
CS 410 Blue Group
A Brief Overview
2
• The Problem
• Our Solution
• Evaluation Plan
• Four Phases
o Staffing
o Costs
• What is being provided and what is not
• Risks and their mitigation
• Funding/Budget
• Conclusion
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
Meet the Team
3
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
Overarching Problem
4
Passenger needs are not
addressed by mass
transportation systems.
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
The Wait
5
Hampton Roads Transit (HRT)
routes can have passengers
wait anywhere from 30 minutes
to an hour in suburban areas
such as Chesapeake or Virginia
Beach.
Source:
http://www.gohrt.com/faresandinformation/busroutes/busroutes.html
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
Inclement Weather & The Chase
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On average there is
precipitation 115 days a
year in Virginia.
Passengers not waiting in
the designated bus stop
areas are often overlooked
by the bus driver.
Source:
http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/html/wx/climate/daysrain.html
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
Heavy Passenger Loads & Bus Bunching
7
In July, there are
currently at least
55 festival
events in
Norfolk.
Routes like the Net
in Norfolk and the
Wave in Virginia
Beach have buses
running as close as
6 minutes apart.
Source: http://www.festeventsva.org/calendar/currentevents/
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
Missing the Bus
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Causes:
• Bus is Off Schedule
• Passenger Late Arrival to Stop
• Unaware of Real-time Schedules
• Driver Unaware of Awaiting Customers
Effects:
• Schedule Problems
• Lower Passenger Appreciation
• Less Passengers
• Less Revenue
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
Regional Transit Need is Increasing
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• Hampton Roads has a population of 1.5 million
• By 2025, Hampton Roads is projected for 2.5 million
• Annual Ridership on HRT: 18.5 million
• Buses in the HRT System: 343
• Average bus capacity is currently only at 15%
• Severe congestion is expected on 1,221 lane miles in Hampton
Roads in 2026
Source: http://www.hrtransit.org/pdf/hrtbrochure/HRT_Brochure.pdf
http://www.gohrt.com/pdf/strategicplan/Strategic%20Plan%20Final%20--%20November%202008.pdf
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
A Proposed Solution: communicate2Me
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Increase coordination of passengers and
drivers by providing real time bi-directional
information
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
The Solution
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Real-time information for the driver such as:
 Prioritization of stops
 Number of commuters waiting at the next stop for
their route
Accessible and convenient to end users
Reasonable cost for transportation companies
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
communicate2Me - The Solution
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CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
A Feasible Implementation
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Passengers will be provided with methods to:
• Allow Stop Reservations via:
o Personal Computer and Web Site
o Cellular Phone / Short Message Service(SMS) Texting
• Have notifications of changes in schedule
o SMS notification service
o Email
Result:
• Increases Coordination between driver and passenger
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
Benefits
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Passengers:
• Better Service
• More Interaction
• Greater Satisfaction
Bus Drivers:
• Warning of Waiting Passengers
• Increased Awareness of Future Loads
• More Efficient Routes
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
Evaluation Plan
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•
Time
o
•
Cost
o
•
Measured against budget plan per phase
Scope
o
•
Measured against baseline project plan
Measured against requirements document
Quality
o
Measured by customer and end user
satisfaction
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
{phase 0} - concept (60 days)
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Milestones
Acceptance Criteria
Problem Area Development
Feasibility Research
Milestone Scheduling
Website Development
SBIR Proposals
Review Board Acceptance
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
{phase 0} - organizational chart
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CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
{phase i} - prototype (130 days)
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Milestones
Acceptance Criteria
Prototype Specifications
Test Plan
User Manuals
Proposal
Prototype Construction
Demonstration
Review Board Acceptance
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
{phase i} - prototype components
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CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
{phase i} - financials
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CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
{phase i} - hardware requirements
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hardware
SMS & Web Server
Software Development
Workstation
Cellular Phones
overall hardware costs
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
qty
total
1
$1,500
1
2
$2,000
$800
$4,300
April 9th, 2009
{phase ii} - critical design (1 year)
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Milestones
Acceptance Criteria
Web Interface
Web Message Algorithm
Interfaces with Google Transit
Receives SMS Messages
SMS Gateway Development
Passes Tests
Algorithm Development
Algorithm Testing
Transit Interface
Interface Test
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
Connects with Transit
Authority's Systems
April 9th, 2009
{phase ii} - organizational chart
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CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
{phase ii} - major components
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CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
{phase ii} - financials
25
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
{phase ii} - hardware requirements
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hardware
qty
cost
Total
SMS Server
2
$1000.
$2,000
Web Server
1
$2000.
$2,000
Algorithm Server
SMS Service / Credits
(yearly)
2
$2000.
$4,000
1
$36,000
$36,000
overall hardware
costs
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
$44,000
April 9th, 2009
{phase iii} - production & beyond
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Milestones
Acceptance Criteria
Support Current Installations
Market Penetration
Improvement:
Modifications to Interface
Improvements to Algorithm
Market Acceptance
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
Profitability
April 9th, 2009
{phase iii} - organizational chart
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CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
{phase iii} - financials
29
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
in the box
30
•
•
Service to set up and maintain:
o Short Messaging Service gateways
o Web servers
o Application servers
Algorithm to communicate between end users
and bus drivers
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
not in the box
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•
•
•
Buses
Wireless communication between buses
and Transit Center
Tracking system for buses (GPS, RFID)
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
who is the customer?
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Initial customers:
Transportation
• Hampton Roads Transit (HRT)
• Metropolitan Transportation Authorities
Future customers (Phase III+)
Shipping
• United States Postal Service (USPS)
• United Parcel Service (UPS)
Other Services
• Cable
• Utilities
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
price point
33
Costs:
Yearly Cost to Customer: $400,000
Customer ROI:
•Increases fuel mileage by 3%, saving $200,000 a year
•Increases choice ridership, leading to more customers
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
current competition
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CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
risks & pitfalls
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1. Interoperability
problems
2. Latency Issues
3. Abuse of the system
4. SMS message costs
5. Phone incompatibility
6. Transit operator
ignoring system
7. Down Time
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
risk mitigation
36
Interoperability:
• Direct Communication with each Transit Authority's
technicians
Latency:
• Optimize Incoming SMS Processing Time
• Synchronize Driver Updates based on Position
Abuse of the System:
• No way to mitigate without tracking passengers
Transit Operator Ignoring System:
• Education
• Tracking of Requests to Pickups
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
budget
37
 Funding Source: Department of Transportation
o SBIR – Phase 1: $100,000
o SBIR – Phase 2 : $650,000
o SBIR –Phase 3: Small Business Loan/Venture Capatilists

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=MgLfJcyflkGLZ3tLyF7Rj6GTJrn0PfTyyFvzsQtD1TNF10WzQqWS
!-802466050?oppId=46140&flag2006=false&mode=VIEW

http://www.gohrt.com/pdf/budget/Budget_2009.pdf
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
cost to develop
38
•
•
•
•
Phase 0:
o Free
Phase 1:
o Hardware Resources - $4,300.00
o Personnel Resources - $14,525.00
Phase 2:
o Hardware Resources - $44,000.00
o Personnel Resources - $443,114.00
Phase 3:
o Hardware Resources - $37,200.00
o Personnel Resources - $286,860.00
Total - $829,999.00
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
breaking even
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CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
closing statements
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Current Systems are One-Way:
• Informing the passengers, not Interacting with them.
communicate2Me promises to:
• Connect Passengers with Drivers, and Vice Versa
Each phase is feasible in terms of:
• Cost
• Requirements
• Staffing
let's do it!
communicate2Me
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009
Any questions?
41
CS 410 Blue Group Spring 2009
April 9th, 2009