Presented to:

November 14, 2009

Real-Time Passenger Information

MassDOT Developers Conference

Our Competition

+

Reality

Problem with Transit

Takes too much time!

We must reduce travel time

Transit Customer Base

• Areas where parking is limited• The poor• People with disabilities

Need to attract additional riders!

Bad Economy

Less Money

Greater Ridership

Need to do more, with less

Expensive Solutions

• Additional vehicles• Dedicated right of way• Tunnels

Cost Effective Technologies

• Transit signal priority• Reducing number of stops• Fare cards for quicker boarding• Real-Time Passenger

Information

What NextBus Provides1. We tell users, for every stop, when the

next vehicle is going to arrive“Next bus in 5 minutes”

2. Can also display informational messages

“Detour next week due to construction”

3. AVL & Management tools (Reports, Maps)

“Avg. Headway – 36 min.”

Why Important

Reduced wait time means reduced travel time.

Reduces wait time to a couple of minutes.

Cuts perceived wait time in half.

How it works

Wireless Communications

)))

GPS Satellites

Data Center

GPS AVL Data

Processing Data

GPS AVL from buses

Route Configurations

Schedules

Block Assignments

NextBus Data Algorithms

AccessibleInfo

HistoricalTravel Info

NextBus Clients - 2009

Public Agency University Corporate

65+ customers

Provide something that people will be completely addicted to

How you can make an impact…

But remember, crime does not pay

Very high usageDaily Website Visitors for San Francisco MTA

Smart Phone Usage

Usage from iPhones, Blackberries, etc increasing the fastest

About 1/3 the usage for San Francisco system

Feedback From Passengers

It has literally changed my life. It means an extra 10 minutes playing with my baby in the morning. It means finishing off my cup of coffee, when in the past I'd drop it off in the sink completely full.

But what something like NextBus taught me is that practical tech is the sexiest tech.

Feedback From Passengers

This is fabulous. Well done!

You guys are amazing!

I use NextBus all the time and i love you for it.

Greatly reduces my stress.

Without NextBus, I wouldn't ride the bus.

I no longer have any excuse for driving to work!

I love the convenience of this service!

I love your service.

Unbelievably helpful

Purpose of XML Feed

• Go beyond what NextBus can provide• Try out new ideas• Increase ridership

What is the XML Feed?

• Simple RESTful way for an app to query data

• XML format– Easy to parse– Easy to expand

• Configuration data– Routes, stops, paths

• Real-time data– Arrival/Departure predictions

Vehicle locations