AS PART OF THEIR NEW SERVICE OFFERINGS, FORT WORTH TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY PLANS TO INSTALL NEXTBUS REAL-TIME PASSENGER INFORMATION.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority expanded its capacity by implementing new buses on their most heavily traveled routes.  In the first phase of the rollout, The “T” will feature 60 foot articulated buses.  The buses, purchased with a $6.2 million stimulus grant from the federal Recovery Act, hold 50% more passengers than the T’s largest 40-foot buses.

The second phase of the expanded service will include GPS-based NextBus real time passenger information at major shelters.  An electronic message board will tell riders how long they will have to wait for the next bus to arrive.  It will also feature NextBus texing capabilities, which will send a text message to passengers with schedule information and updates.  Further upgrades will include spacious, modern lighted bus shelters, and detailed “You Are Here” route information kiosks, expected to be completed in 2012.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority expanded its capacity by implementing new buses on their most heavily traveled routes.  In the first phase of the rollout, The “T” will feature 60 foot articulated buses.  The buses, purchased with a $6.2 million stimulus grant from the federal Recovery Act, hold 50% more passengers than the T’s largest 40-foot buses.

“We’re trying to simulate with our bus service the qualities that people find attractive on rail transit,” said Curvie Hawkins, Fort Worth Transportation Authority planning director. “A lot of that is making the service more convenient and on time, making waiting conditions more pleasurable, and making people feel safer while they’re waiting for the vehicle and when they’re on the vehicle.”

The second phase of the expanded service will include GPS-based NextBus real time passenger information at major shelters.  It will also feature NextBus texing capabilities, which will send a text message to passengers with schedule information and updates.  Further upgrades will include spacious, modern lighted bus shelters, and detailed “You Are Here” route information kiosks, expected to be completed in 2012.

CHANGES ARE BEING MADE TO THE COLLEGETOWN SHUTTLE TO IMPROVE ITS RELIABILITY AND SERVICE.

The Collegetown Shuttle has been useful for students and staff, but passengers have been frustrated due to overcrowding and unreliable schedules. Fortunately, Collegetown has been working to fix that problem and has added NextBus techonology to assist with schedule planning. NextBus is used in cities and universities across the United States and Canada to assist transit riders. The technology provides users with real-time transit information so passengers will know when and where the next bus will arrive. Senior Calvin Reyes feels that the service will help students. He explains:

“Nextbus is a great idea because it will allow riders to plan trips based on traffic issues so they won’t have to worry about being late or missing their bus. This is also effective because students receive so much information through technological and social media nowadays, and their mobile Internet usage is being capitalized on.”

For more information about the Collegetown Shuttle and a complete schedule, visit http://www.baltimorecollegetown.org/shuttle.

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ADDED TO BALTIMORE COLLEGETOWN NETWORK SHUTTLES, USING NEXTBUS TECHNOLOGY

Baltimore Collegetown Network will be adding Morgan State University to their shuttle service this year. An estimated 74,000 people rode the Collegetown shuttle during the previous academic year and Morgan State will be the seventh institution to join the service.

Also, as an effort to assist students with bus scheduling, Baltimore Collegetown Network will begin using Nextbus technology this fall. NextBus will provide real time transit information, so that riders will can view the schedules online and through their mobile devices, to pinpoint exactly when the next bus will be arriving. Theresa Bedoya, president of the Collegetown governing board and dean and vice president for admissions and financial aid at the Maryland Institute College of Art understands the need for reliable transportation. She explains,

“Working with students and prospective students on a daily basis, I understand that having reliable, safe transportation in and around Baltimore is important to them. The Baltimore Collegetown shuttle has provided just that for the past 12 years. It ties institutions together and allows students to explore Baltimore and become engaged in the city, helping to make this a vibrant and hip place to be.”

The Baltimore Collegetown Network is a consortium of 14 colleges, which includes 120,000 students, $17.2 billion in economic activity and more than 60,000 employees, that works to attract, engage and retain students and raise the profile of Baltimore as a college town. Key initiatives include joint marketing campaigns, the Collegetown shuttle, Baltimore Collegetown LeaderShape and internship and student engagement programs. More information may be found at http://www.baltimorecollegetown.org.

JHU ENHANCES ITS SHUTTLE SERVICE BY USING NEXTBUS GPS TRACKING

John Hopkins University is proud to announce their new and improved shuttle service, known as the Blue Jay Shuttle.  In addition to implementing a fixed route service with designated bus stops, they will be using GPS to track all of their buses.  By taking advantage of this NextBus technology, riders can check online or through their mobile device to see when the next bus will arrive.

These improvements will hopefully alleviate some of the frustration that students used to experience with riding the bus in the past. William Smedick, director of leadership programs and assessment initiatives for the Office of the Dean of Student Life, explains:

“The NextBus system is designed technology that students can access through their smart phones, tablets and personal computers, and provides real-time information that should help students get to where they need to go in a more time-efficient manner. The new Blue Jay Shuttle should add consistency to the routes so that our students can be much more confident in terms of arrival and departure times.”

To view the Blue Jay Shuttle routes and to track the vans or Homewood-JHMI shuttle buses, go to www.nextbus.com on either a computer or a smart phone. Passengers will also be able to call NextBus at 410-834-2833 and enter a stop number to receive vehicle tracking information via text message.

The Downtown Connection was established shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks as a way to connect those living and working in the city to local businesses, as well as the rest of the city.  Lower Manhattan continued to use this service and equipped the buses with NextBus technology.

Through NextBus, passengers can find schedule updates on their computer, mobile website, text messaging, or touch tone land-line or cellular phone.  Through the onboard GPS system, riders can find details about the bus location and estimated stop times.  Furthermore, activated signs at stops along the route will update with the estimated time of the next arrival.

Nextrip, powered by NextBus technology, is adding QR codes to their bus stop signs that help passengers find bus schedules via the Internet, text message, or a phone call.  The new signs display instructions and an ID number that helps passengers use the technology more efficiently.

For those not familiar with QR codes, they are similar to barcodes used by retailers to track inventory.   The difference is that users with a camera phone can scan the image of the QR code to display text, contact information, or sent to a website for further information.

Customers can simply use their phone or computer scan the QR code on the sign, which will take them to a mobile-optimized page that calculates bus arrival times as well as stop information.  In addition, Metro’s most recent status tweet’s will be captured.

Metro operates the third largest public transportation system in the US by ridership, providing bus and urban rail services to approximately 1.4 million weekday riders over a 1433 square mile area. At peak times it has over 2,000 buses in operation and is considered one of the region’s largest employers.

NextBus real time arrival technology is being deployed on all sixty of Saint John Transit’s buses in Saint John, New Brunswick.

“NextBus is a vehicle tracking system that uses global positioning satellite information. It will provide our customers with real-time transit information when and where riders need it. The system will pin point any given stop, thereby eliminating wait times and the need for schedules for all transit riders,” said Saint John Mayor Ivan Court.

“The Government of Canada is proud to invest in modern technologies that are both efficient and environmentally responsible,” said Member of Parliament for Saint John, Rodney Weston. “NextBus will improve transportation for Saint John residents.”

NextBus technology is deployed on all of Saint John’s fleet sixty buses. The value to the rider of providing real-time bus arrival information goes beyond just reduced waiting time. Because the rider knows when the bus is arriving, less time is spent in inclement weather, waiting in bus shelters, or at stops at night. From a taxpayer viewpoint NextBus will also provide to Saint John Transit a set of transit real-time management tools and reports which will enable Saint John Transit to run their system more productively. The project was entirely funded through the federal Public Transit Commission Trust 2008.

Saint John Transit Commission Chair Chris Titus noted, “The investment made by the Government of Canada is extremely important and will enhance the customers’ experience. Saint John Transit is committed to being the key supplier of alternative transportation for the region and the GPS NextBus system will make using transit easier for all customers.”

A free iPhone app called “Smart Ride” now pulls in NextBus data to help passengers in Los Angeles travel more efficiently.  “Smart Ride”, developed by San Francisco-based CodeMass, uses the NextBus data to show customers bus arrival times by stop, or by bus line.

Many passengers are now relying on “Smart Ride” in busy downtown Los Angeles, where multiple bus lines often travel to the same destination.  Ranked 5 stars out of 5, users are raving about the accuracy and convenient way to obtain the information.

See what a few users have to say:

“With this app I am sure I can get places on time spending much less on gas, traffic, and stress.”

“Before SmartRide I was missing the bus or waiting too long in the cold for the next one.  Having to get to work by 6:30 am, it’s helpful to know when the bus is coming.  SmartRide has been very helpful and accurate.”

“I use this every day to let me know whether or not I have time to shave!”

One of the strengths of NextBus technology is that the accurate data enables developers to build sophisticated user-friendly applications such as the SmartRide application.

The MBTA reported the busiest month of May for bus ridership in almost a decade.  State transportation officials attribute the increase to higher gas prices and to customer serivce initiatives such as a cell phone app that lets passengers know when the next bus is arriving.

According to MBTA, 10,000 people have subscribed to T Alerts, a new service that offers customers an opportunity to have special service announcements (delays, closures, etc.) sent directly to their cell phones, PDAs, or email accounts.

Daily bus ridership for May averaged 385,000 passengers, which is the highest for the month since 2002.

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As part of their Next Vehicle Arrival System (NVAS), the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), has released bus arrival predictions generated by NextBus throughout their entire system.

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 and anticipates carrying an additional 175 million riders by 2021. The addition of sophisticated NextBus technology will make it easier to achieve that objective.

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