Connecting Smart
Buses in Smart Cities
By Blaine Rigler
How has connected bus technology developed
to where it is today and how does it benefi t users? C
JUNE 2017 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit | 29
ONNECTED BUSES CAN
serve as the foundation for
any municipality’s smart city
blueprints. Th e technology
exists today to improve the
rider experience, reduce traffi
c congestion and lessen the
impact a fl eet of buses has on
the environment. Even more benefi
cial technologies are on the near
horizon. Th ese systems all have one
thing in common: they connect to
the internet — and one another —
to generate and share enormous
volumes of data. Th e challenge for
mass transit offi cials is turning that
raw data into useful information.
Make that two things they have
in common: they all need a tangible
benefi t. Th at requires mass
transit operators to be able to explain
the benefi ts of making strategic
investments to two key audiences:
city offi cials and the public.
Fortunately, it’s becoming increasingly
likely that both groups will
embrace a connected bus system
as part of the larger whole that is
the connected smart city.
Th e U.S. Census Bureau reports
that all but one of the nation’s 20
largest cities in 2015 saw their
populations grow at an average
rate that was almost double that
of the previous decade. Th ese new
arrivals don’t just want to enjoy
the traditional benefi ts of city life.
Th ey expect their municipalities to
leverage technology to improve the
effi ciency of services, reduce traffi c
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