Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting - 43

2010 Annual Meeting

rabbittransit Unveils New Technology Initiative
BY JENNA REEDY Business Development Manager rabbittransit York, PA
he public transportation agency serving York, PA, rabbittransit, is launching a $2.1 million technology project this month. The project, branded as smarthop, offers multiple state-of-the-art features to benefit its riders, centered on an Automatic Vehicle Location/Computer Aided Dispatch system (AVL/CAD) deploying Global Positioning Satellite system tracking and monitoring schedule adherence/on-time

SCHOLARSHIPS
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sponsored by SEPTA, is pursuing an MBA at Eastern University. Krystal Oldread is workAdam Blakeley ing toward a master of regional planning degree at the University of MassachusettsAmherst. Her scholarship was Krystal Oldread sponsored by UMass Transit. Rogelio Gomez, a bachelor’s degree candidate in business administration at the University Rogelio Gomez of Phoenix, was sponsored by Access Services. Frankie Walls, sponsored by the Broward County Transportation Department in Pompano Frankie Walls Beach, FL, is in an MBA program in logistics at Florida International University. Kristen Lynn Sheleheda, an MBA candidate in supply chain management at Duquesne Kristen Lynn University, was Sheleheda sponsored by the Beaver County Transit Authority, Rochester, PA. Andrew Mock, pursuing a master of community planning degree at the University of North Carolina, was sponsored by the Charlotte Area Transit System in Charlotte, NC. Andrew Mock Michael Neuville, an undergraduate studying electrical and mechanical engineering at Michigan Technical University, was sponsored by Champion Bus Inc. Michael Neuville

performance. One highlight of this technology initiative includes the new Infopoint section of the rabbittransit web site, which displays real-time information giving riders the ability to view up-tothe-minute bus locations and departure times. The agency also has installed overhead realtime passenger screens at the rabbittransit Transfer Center, displaying the next available departure times for buses in route to this main hub, and plans to install additional screens at key locations throughout the community.

Another new feature included in the project is an iPhone application that allows riders to view real-time bus locations on Google Maps. This app provides information for rabbittransit’s Route 1, the most highly trafficked line with more than 500,000 riders a year, and the rabbitEXPRESS commuter bus service to Harrisburg, PA, and northern Maryland. It is available for free download through the App Store. Paratransit customers who use rabbittransit’s 10.875” curb-to-curb service 10.625” will also benefit from smarthop. Riders 9.25” receive notification calls for their trip

times from a new Automated Phone System, which uses Interactive Voice Response technology. They can opt to receive reminder calls prior to the vehicle arriving and can cancel trips through the automated system. All rabbittransit riders—including users of commuter service, fixed routes, paratransit, and Hop-n-Ride lots—may take advantage of the Rider Alert system. Transit users who register for this free service through the agency’s web site can receive service updates via e-mail or text message, and can customize for individual preferences such as particular routes. The agency’s communication strategy for the technology initiative began

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Thinking ahead can move a city.
At URS, we believe that cities succeed when they anticipate the future and plan accordingly. Today, with mass transit as an essential component for managed growth, we can help. Our ability to provide environmentally sound, turnkey systems that shorten implementation timelines and reduce costs is what sets us apart.
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Which is why, whether it’s a light rail system, a high-speed rail line, bus rapid transit, commuter stations, or intermodal facilities, more people are turning to us to get it done. We are URS.

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September 27, 2010 | 39

Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting

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