Technological innovation in public transportation has focused of late on such varied areas as communication, energy efficiency, and safety. New technology is pushing public transit investment in everything from apps that radically improve customer service to buses that recharge wirelessly to a system that helps bus drivers navigate snowy highway shoulders.
Here’s a look at some of the latest projects and research, plus some areas where more work must be done.
Customer Information = Customer Service
As real-time vehicle location systems become more common, many public transit agencies are now focusing on innovations in customer information, said Kirk Talbott, chief information officer for Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority in Austin. “We’re looking to get that information out to customers faster and more comprehensively,” he said.
To that effect, Capital Metro plans to roll out quick response codes at a small number of bus stops this March. Passengers will be able to take photos of bar codes on bus stop signs to receive arrival information on the next three buses. If the pilot is well received, the agency plans to eventually add the codes at all stops. The agency is also exploring ways to put this technology on board vehicles, where passengers can find travel help, from upcoming stops to transfer information.
“The economy has been kind of harsh in terms of innovation,” Talbott said. “We’ve had to hunker down and spend our money on keeping existing systems working.”
Another customer-friendly innovation, introduced last year, aids the agency in operating its paratransit service more efficiently. A computer-aided dispatch automatic vehicle location program helps dispatchers reroute for last-minute pickup requests. It also calls passengers shortly before pickup to let them know their ride is on its way.
Improving customer service is at the forefront of New Jersey Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH). As mandated by federal law, it plans to replace all 350 of its rail cars and move from a mechanical signaling system to automatic train control by 2015. This new system, which will use radio frequency controls, will allow the agency to safely run trains more closely together, thus increasing the number of trips.
PATH Director and General Manager Michael P. DePallo also has his eye on advances in smart card technology around the country, with agencies testing ways to provide customers with more payment options, from credit cards to key fobs and cell phones. “That’s a trend we’re going to see more and more of,” he said. Smart card technology can be especially useful in areas like metro New York where many commuters use a combination of agencies to travel. An integrated system could do away with the need for multiple cards and passes.
PATH introduced a limited-use disposable, paper smart card a couple of months ago. And, last year, the agency teamed with NJ Transit and NYC MTA on a pilot smart card project using bank cards. Passengers on select buses and trains tapped credit or debit cards against specially designed fare boxes and turnstiles.
Energy Efficiency
This spring, Link Transit of Washington State plans to launch electric buses that recharge wirelessly and quickly during their routes. Five 22-foot buses designed to look like trolleys have been equipped for the service, dubbed The Current. Drivers will pull into a station at the end of each loop, about every 15 minutes, to recharge. A 5-7 minute charge should bring the battery to 80 to 90 percent capacity, with an overnight charge completing the job.
Passengers will be able to get on and off the buses during the charging, and there will be no exposed wires or plugs. “You would not know, as an average passenger, that charging was even happening,” said Todd Daniel, maintenance manager with LinkTransit.
Foothill Transit in West Covina, CA and VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio, TX are also experimenting with all-electric, fast-charge technology.
The buses, manufactured by EBus of Downey, Calif., will use lithium ion titanium oxide batteries, which generate less heat than traditional rechargeable batteries. As for benefits, the vehicles will produce zero carbon emissions and cost less to operate than diesel buses, Daniel said. Another plus? They are very quiet.
Bus Driving on Dark Shoulders
Bus drivers with the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) have driven on shoulders to avoid congested freeway lanes for about 20 years. Some drivers, however, are hesitant to move onto shoulders that are dark and covered in snow. While staying on schedule is important, MVTA Transit General Manager Michael Abegg said, “their No. 1 job is safety.”
To make the shoulder more appealing, MVTA installed a Driver Assist System for rush-hour commuter trips between the suburbs and downtown Minneapolis. The system, developed by the University of Minnesota’s Intelligent Vehicles Laboratory, was first used in snow plows in Alaska. Ten MVTA express buses have been equipped with high-accuracy GPS equipment and laser sensors.
A half-silvered mirror screen in front of the driver shows lighted lane lines. Obstacles ahead, from disabled cars to displaced mufflers, appear as boxes on the screen. If a driver begins veering out of a lane, a boundary line on the screen turns from white to red. And the driver’s seat vibrates on the errant side like a virtual rumble strip. The system also tugs on the steering wheel to alert the driver. This technology was introduced into service in November and is now being evaluated.
Communications
Systems around the country are installing real-time information at their stations. For example, Orlando’s LYNX installed real-time information screens at its central station in late 2009. This technology makes it easy for travelers to see and hear everything—from the current state of service to future changes in services as well as estimates on arrival, time, temperature, and even ads. High definition screens can feature picture on picture programming and news scrolls. And if there’s an emergency, real-time data can preempt programming for announcements. “Customers are more confident with transit service when they know what’s going on and feel they have more control of their time,” said Robert G. Ayers, of Ayers Electronic Systems in Richmond, VA, which supplied the system to LYNX.
Customer expectations are driving internal and third-party development in real-time technology, said Paula Okunieff with Consensus Systems Technologies Corp. of Boston. Ideally, new developments will include interfaces that allow business systems to communicate out of the box and eliminate human intervention as much as possible, she said. “As soon as you move into real-time information, you can’t have someone cleaning up the information, because that is what drives the results of the technology,” she said. “If you put garbage data in, you get garbage data out.”
Encouraging Third-Party Innovation
A number of agencies, including NJ Transit, are making their service data public to encourage innovative applications by third-party developers. Last May, NJ Transit launched a Developer Resources section on its web site to provide developers with direct access in the hopes that they will use this information to create new trip-planning software applications. Nearly 400 have registered so far. Developers can download free schedule data in General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format. Tables available include stops, routes, trips, stop times, and calendars. “We’ve seen a number of Android and iPhone apps come to market,” agency spokesman Dan Stessel said. TriMet in Portland, OR, and BART in San Francisco made a similar move several years ago. Since opening its schedule and arrival data to the public, independent programmers have created dozens of free and commercial transit tools for riders.
Pursuing Internal Technological Innovation
Stessel said that while his agency appreciates outside contributions, it’s not leaving all innovation to outsiders. “Pursuing technology is part of our overall plan,” he said.
For example:
• Last October the agency launched its My Bus system. Bus passengers can text five-digit codes assigned to bus stops from their cell phones to receive schedule information. The service is now available in a few counties and should be running in all 21 counties by the end of the year.
• The agency is also researching WiFi opportunities for rail stations and trains and hopes to choose one or more providers this year.
• DepartureVision, an online tool for viewing real-time train departure screens, expanded to include all 165 rail stations last year. On a typical weekday, the system receives more than 35,000 queries, Stessel said.
What’s Next?
Cyber Security. As the amount of cyber information grows, so does the need to protect it from misuse, said Dave Teumim, president of Teumim Technical LLC of Allentown, PA. Teumim, who chairs the APTA working group developing security standards for rail transit control and communications systems, noted that the goal is to secure everything from signaling systems to electrical power that runs third rails and overhead lines to fire alarms and emergency ventilation systems for subway tunnels. If left unprotected, these systems could be accessed by unauthorized people, Teumim said. Potential disasters, he added, are not an exaggeration, and he cited how street cars were derailed in Poland after a 14-year-old boy hacked into a rail system.
While the U.S. government regulates cyber security in other industries, such as the oil and gas sector and the electrical power grid, it hasn’t yet gotten to public rail. While typically larger transit agencies have dedicated professionals working on cyber security, smaller agencies have lagged behind.
“But, in general, the whole industry needs to move in the same direction and get to the place where other industries are going,” he said.
Positive Train Control. An impending 2015 federally mandated deadline has rail companies and vendors working to develop positive train control (PTC) systems, but inherent in this effort are problems of cost and interoperability. The challenge lies in applying the technology—and ensuring its interoperability among multiple users on tracks, which includes both passenger and freight trains. Another challenge is to develop safe design specifications that don’t add so much weight as to significantly slow speeds.
Technology’s Role
“Technology can keep transit agencies moving forward when physical improvements are cost or space prohibitive,” said DePallo. “In a lot of respects, technology is the answer for some capacity issues,” he said.
“Despite tight budget times, our interest and investment in technology hasn’t suffered one bit,” Stressel said. “Technology is a relatively low-cost but high-impact way to improve the quality of our customers’ experience.” If someone is running late and can see that their train will arrive in several minutes, that’s the difference between stopping for coffee, or not, Stessel said. While a cup of coffee might not seem like a big deal, he said, it does help keep public transit passengers happy. And happy customers, he said, keep coming back.
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FTA Administrator Peter M. Rogoff experiences the Driver Assist System in a demonstration developed for the 2010 ITS America annual meeting. |
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