SMART BUSES
JUNE 2017 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit | 31
Sounds like a hopeful vision for the
future, but that vision will soon become
reality — and in some cases already is.
Turning Vision into Reality
More buses equipped with Wi-Fi and
other technologies to improve the rider
experience are hitting the streets nationwide.
For example, the New York
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
last year began rolling out new connected
buses as part of its commitment to
equip 2,042 buses with Wi-Fi hotspots
by 2020. In addition to Wi-Fi access, the
buses offer USB ports and digital information
screens that display everything
from automated stop announcements,
available transfers at each stop, news,
weather and advertising, and real-time
communication from the MTA.
Las Vegas recently partnered with
car maker Audi to develop a system that
shows drivers how long they’ll have to
wait for the next stoplight to change. It’s
the fi rst vehicle-to-infrastructure technology
to go live in the United States,
and shows what’s possible for cars, buses
and other transportation systems. For
example, the system could automatically
cut the engine off and on to reduce idling
time, saving gas, money and the environment.
It could also link to a vehicle’s
GPS navigation system to optimize routing
decisions.
You’ve likely heard or read a lot lately
about the development of autonomous
vehicles, and that trend includes connected
buses. Capital Metro in Austin, Texas
recently gave riders a demonstration of its
EasyMile EZ10 fully autonomous shuttle.
Th e 12-passenger, all-electric EZ10 ran
on pre-determined routes on a closed
course on Th e University of Texas at
Austin campus.
Th e demonstration showed how Capital
Metro is exploring new ways to move
people around Austin while helping to
reduce emissions.
Collecting Data Is
Just a First Step
Those are three examples of why investing
in connected bus systems is becoming
a necessity, not an option.
Because these systems collect ever
growing volumes of data, mass
transit authorities’ budgets should
also allocate for the hiring of professionals
who can install and maintain
these technologies, as well as analyze
the data that comes streaming in from
them every day.
Collecting data is the easy part. The
heavy lifting comes with taking data
and turning it into information.
Systems can provide statistics on
ridership, route scheduling and vehicle
maintenance, but they require human
intervention to identify opportunities
to drive change and improvements.
Blaine Rigler is the president of McDonald
Transit Associates and VP of Bus Services for
RATP Dev North America.
For more information, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/10064967