Transit authorities overwhelmingly embrace new technology, and riders are the better for it

The days of huddled figures shivering on cold transit platforms waiting for their bus that’s running late might be coming to a close. Automatic vehicle location (AVL) technology linked to a phone app provides transit riders real time updates about unscheduled delays and expected wait times, giving them an opportunity to plan accordingly.

Overwhelmingly, transit authorities across the United States are embracing this kind of innovation, and their customers are the better for it.

“Everyone has a smartphone, now, and they can get a notice,” said Daniel Boyle, author of the recently published report “On-Street Bus Operations Management: A Synthesis of Transit Practice,” The report was commissioned by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s  Transit Cooperative Research Program, and Boyle’s firm, Dan Boyle & Associates, carried out the research.

In a survey of administrators representing 36 North American transit agencies, 83% rated their organization’s efforts to integrate technology into everyday operations as “very successful or somewhat successful,” Boyle said. Not one described technology as burdensome or “just another mouth to feed.”

That being said, implementing new technologies comes at a sometimes high cost, and requires consistent training and support from local IT organizations, the report notes. On top of that, in his experience, Boyle said transit employees are often skeptical, so it’s important to keep everyone in the loop from the get go.

“Involving the operators at the beginning—the people who are actually going to use this technology and be judged by this technology—is great,” he said. “It’s a matter of building trust.”

But while the additional training requirements might add a layer of complexity, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. Citing a case study of the Concord Kannapolis Area Transit (Rider) in North Carolina that’s included in the report, Boyle said the rider benefits are clear: Because riders were able to access location data in real time, more people rode the bus.

And it’s not just the customers who benefit.

Vehicle tracking technology also allows supervisors to make better, more informed decisions, the report says. For example, they can have a bus hold if it’s running ahead, or leave sooner to make up for lost time.

“Today’s on-street supervisor knows the real-time location of all buses and can take proactive measures to avoid potential problems,” the report says, noting the survey also “ revealed diverse approaches in terms of decision-making authority. Many agencies delegate complete authority to street supervisors—as ‘the eyes in the field’—to take whatever actions are necessary, and delegation of complete authority is more likely to occur at large transit agencies. Others delegate complete authority for minor actions, such as bus holds, but require approval from dispatch or the control center for major actions such as turn backs.”

Technology has substantially changed the way supervisors operate.

“In the old days, it was done via radio communication,” Boyle said. 

It can also provide users with a direct line of communication to supervisors, who on any given day might be in the field gathering information, and making sure there aren’t gaps in service.

Beyond the transit organizations themselves, AVL could benefit other adjacent organizations. Given that buses are constantly on the road, tracking their location could be a helpful barometer for other organizations to track traffic information and improve light sequences, for example. That’s not happening right now.

“One unexpected finding is that implementation of new technologies has not resulted in more effective coordination with other agencies and/or with city or county traffic operation,” the report says. “Almost 70 percent of agencies report no change in coordination” with other organizations, including: Other transit agencies, in terms of data and bus location; emergency response and police agencies; cities, in terms of signal priority and camera-based bus lane enforcement; regional traffic management centers; overall data management; and contracted bus operators.

Fostering networks and intra-agency communication might be a next step for transit agencies preparing for whatever comes next.

“The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems,” the report says. “Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands.”