Smart Bus Guidance System
Project Partners:
128 Business Council – Lead Applicant
Monica Tibbits, Executive Director
Town of Hudson – Co Applicant
Michelle Ciccolo, Community Development Director
Improving Suburban Bus
Routing
ƒ More
than real-time tracking
ƒ Making the system efficient
ƒ Increasing responsiveness of
existing bus systems
ƒ Reducing delays
ƒ Attracting more riders
Plan of Action:
z
Commission software – To enable users to interact with bus
system via internet/desktop, smart phone, telephone operator (with desk top
access)
z
z
Procure GPS based / bus guidance consoles
Deploy in buses, provide training, track
progress and data
Why Is this project Important?
z
Solve the first and last trip dilemma and make transit
more viable along highways and already congested
areas
Equity – open living and working opportunities in the
Suburbs to disadvantaged groups
Community Vitality – provide alternatives to
automobile
Reduce congestion
z
Reduce carbon emissions – by reducing
z
z
z
vehicular trips
Obstacles & Barriers to transit
in the suburbs
Problems:
z
z
z
z
Inconvenient
Slow
Confusing systems
New England
Weather
You can’t get there from here…
Routes can take too long when they are
fixed routes with multiple stops
z Example: Residential Neighborhood in
Lexington to Alewife T Station – By
car… 10 minutes
By bus… 37+ minutes
z
(12 minute walk, wait, bus that makes up to 39 stops)
Fixed Routes
Don’t Cover
Everywhere
Routes
Can Be
Confusing
Waiting at
Bus Stops
Can Deter
Riders
Schedules confuse, change without notice, are delayed…
Obstacles &
Barriers
Problem:
Potential Solution:
z
Inconvenient
¾
z
Slow
Confusing systems
New England Weather
¾
z
z
¾
¾
Pick up/drop off @ site or
convenient location (deviated
routes)
Demand responsive
Instant feedback
No waiting outside
Can We?
Click our smart
phone and
summon the
bus?
z Will it respond
to tell us when
the bus is
coming?
z
Could it…
…interact? Tell us when
the bus will approach?
Tell the bus where to go to
get us?
Show us where
the bus is?
What’s Available Now?
(how
z
do we know technology can do this)
Vehicle guidance systems that automatically
re-route for traffic – most cars with guidance system have this
feature built in today via satellite or cellular communication
z
z
Bus tracking systems which show bus
location – widely being deployed by RTAs
GPS in virtually all phones
The next step is to put these 3
things together to build a demand
responsive interactive system.
Existing Vendors are Capable of
Building the System:
Smart Bus Guidance System
If you build it they will come…