Archive for October, 2009
Friday, October 30th, 2009
Fixed-Route scheduling can be a time-consuming and frustrating task. This week, I presented a webinar about scheduling software that can save you time and money while ensuring your schedules are optimized and efficient. The webinar also addresses a topic on everyone’s mind lately – how to easily integrate with Google Maps for online trip planning. To learn more about how easy and affordable it can be to improve your scheduling processes, click to watch the on-demand webinar.
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Microsoft Shuttle, which provides fixed-route and demand response service on Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington campus, wanted to take their GPS to the next level and support it with Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) software, automated communication, and data collection processes. Ultimately, Shuttle wanted to increase on-time fleet activity in order to reduce parking, single occupancy vehicles, and traffic congestion on campus.
Since implementing a GPS/AVL and mobile computing system, Microsoft Shuttle has been able to meet their response time requirements of four to ten minutes, and customer complaints have decreased. The technology helps drivers get to their destination faster, improves the collection of trip statistics, such as response times and passenger counts, and allows for better route planning.
Click here to read more about Microsoft Shuttle’s improved operations.
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
Curious to know how your transit agency stacks up against others when it comes to sustainable transit practices? Looking for inspiration to green your transportation? Click here to read about the various sustainable efforts lead by transit agencies across America.
Also, do you want to find out what your carbon output is? Use this handy carbon calculator to get an idea of your greenhouse gas emissions.
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
We’re very excited at The Fleet Beat about a new webinar we’ve put together. Hosted by Chris Pettigrew, our resident transit specialist, the webinar will present an affordable scheduling option for small/medium sized transit agencies. Most transit agencies are interested in taking advantage of Trip Planning with Google Maps™ Transit . However, smaller agencies are quickly running into a number of issues when attempting to implement this— the prohibitive cost of most scheduling software and a lack of money/staff to name a couple. This webinar will address these issues as well as give you a glimpse of how much easier scheduling software can make your life. Please click here to register to join us on October 28, at 1:30 pm MDT
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
In this Mobile Enterprise article, it is argued that broadband wireless costs are worth the investment, with ROI measured almost instantly – weeks and months – as opposed to years. The author outlines many benefits of investing in wireless technology, such as productivity increases, while still considering budget limitations. Learn how to choose the right device for your company’s needs, and how to get the most from your wireless network operator. The article provides some solid tips on data package pricing and selecting wireless coverage. Weigh in on these issues and more here.
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
Free public transportation. It’s not something we think about very much in North America. However, more and more people across the globe are joining together to voice their demands for the right to free transportation. These days, with the threat of climate change and global warming looming over our heads, these protests are often for a sustainable cause. The Free Public Transit blogspot has a collection of articles about free transit initiatives around the world, and how countries are dealing with this issue.
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Here’s a great new website from the FTA to help smaller rural and urban transit agencies enhance their safety programs. The Transit Bus Safety and Security Program Resource Website provides a huge collection of online resources to support this initiative. Topic, keyword and document type search fields make it simple to learn about safety improvement measures. With this resource at your fingertips, you can implement cutting-edge transit safety and security programs.
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
If you work for a multinational, you know that there is no option out there for reliable and universal wireless coverage. So what can you do to keep a mobile, and often remote workforce connected? This Mobile Enterprise Magazine article gives you some insight into managing the challenge of multinational workforce connectivity, and shows you how one company is doing it. Here’s the article.
Monday, October 5th, 2009
Access Calgary
Since 2001, Access Calgary, in Alberta, Canada, has been providing shared-ride, door-to-door transportation for people with disabilities who are unable to ride transit buses and trains. Dispatching trips to its various service providers, which include paratransit buses and taxi cabs, Access Calgary wanted a more efficient way to communicate with all of these providers, so they turned to an ITS solution. Karim Rayani, Manager at Access Calgary, reveals the highlights and challenges of ITS adoption.
1. Why did you decide to invest in an ITS solution?
You have to provide your employees with the tools to do the job well or you can’t expect them to deliver. Before ITS, we were relying on 2-way radios for communication. When you’re managing 230 vehicles in rush hour it’s challenging with a limited staff. We had no way of knowing the location of our vehicles so when a customer called to find out where their vehicle was it took a long time to get an ETA.
To meet customer expectations we needed to minimize wait times and provide them with accurate information on a bus’s location, rather than giving them a generic response. We saw an opportunity to improve efficiencies with better communication and real-time vehicle location information.
2. Can you give us an overview of how your ITS solution works?
We installed rugged in-vehicle computers in our paratransit vehicles. Drivers use the computer to login, get trip information or changes, and enter job details. That information is sent in real-time to our head office. The computer’s GPS gives our dispatchers an accurate view of every vehicle’s location.
3. How has your organization changed since implementing this technology?
Before, we relied on a driver sample size of 10 percent. Whatever those drivers had written in their daily manifest is all the information we had. Now all vehicle and driver information is automatically delivered to us, so we can look through historical data to see issues that need to be addressed or areas to improve efficiencies. Communication is faster and voice traffic has dropped significantly.
4. What do these changes mean to your organization?
On-time performance is one of the biggest benefits. We’ve been able to increase our productivity and minimize our budget. If we didn’t have this system we’d be paying more for the same number of trips.
Data entry time has been significantly reduced with the canned messages. Now drivers can just enter a couple of key strokes and messages are sent and received. Also, with a reduction in radio traffic we’re more productive.
5. What has been the response from your staff and customers?
Drives were initially concerned about the big brother aspect of the system, but now they appreciate not having to worry about paperwork. Instead, they just press a button on the keypad and it helps them do their job. This system makes work more manageable with fewer errors. Our staff appreciates that, and so do our customers. We’re able to give our customers more accurate ETAs so they can better plan their time. Everyone, from dispatchers, support staff, drivers, and customers are also enjoying a quieter work and vehicle environment with less radio chatter.
To learn more about Access Calgary’s technology solution, click here.
