Real-time transit information

WHITE PAPER OVERVIEW

Oregon Public Transportation ConferenceOctober 2018

Overview

1. What is real-time?2. Benefits3. Real-time transit info in Oregon4. White paper approach and objectives5. Recommendations and findings

White paper draft:http://bit.ly/odot-realtime-whitepaper

What is real-time?For customers

● SMS● Phone● Trip planner● Mobile app● Street, station, and other public signage● Website● Alert subscriptions

Google Maps

Moovit

What is real-time?For customers

Transit OneBusAwayMobile Apps

What is real-time?Types of information (for customers)

● Service alerts

Route 5 is experiencing significant delays due to flooded roads

● Vehicle Positions

● Real-time arrival estimates (trip updates)

Solar LED signs

What is real-time?For customers

E-ink signs

What is real-time?For transit providers

● Dispatch functions● Live map of vehicle locations● Reports

DynamicTime - Dispatch functions and live map

Swiftly - On-time performance reports

Swiftly - Historical vehicle playback

Swiftly - Run-times

MBTA - Performance dashboard

What is real-time?For transit providers

● Other reports○ Run-times○ Accuracy of arrival

predictions

What is real-time?On the bus

● AVL● CAD (mobile data terminal)

A Lextran mobile data terminalA GPS tracker that plugs into OBD port

What is real-time?How it fits together

Computer-aided dispatch (CAD) /Automatic vehicle location (AVL)

Real-time passenger information

(RTPI)

Performance Measurement

BenefitsFor riders

● Shorter perceived wait time● Shorter real wait times● Increase feelings of safety for riders, especially at

night:One respondent explained, “I can plan when to leave the house better and spend less time waiting at dark or remote stops.”

BenefitsFor riders

Some outcomes:● A study on New York City Transit showed an increase in

ridership associated with the availability of real-time information. “The model implied that real-time information increased ridership by about 340 rides per weekday on the largest quartile of routes, which is a median increase of 2.3% of route-level ridership.”

● After an implementation of the real-time app OneBusAway, surveys found that 92% of respondents reported an increase in satisfaction with public transit as a result of using the app.

BenefitsFor transportation providers

● Ridership increase● Happier riders �● Reduced call volume● Refinement of schedules:

○ Make schedules more realistic○ Reduce unnecessary dwell times○ Identify locations with slow or variable travel and dwell

times, candidate for:■ transit signal priority■ route re-alignment■ moving stops from near-side to far-side of intersections

● Operator accountability & monitoring on-time performance

BenefitsFor the state

● More seamless passenger experience across agencies

● Ability to monitor operated (rather than just scheduled) service:○ Connection timings○ Real travel times○ Real operated service hours

Real-time transit information in Oregon

Agencies with real-time: 14Agencies with GTFS-realtime: 10Total agencies with GTFS: 60

White paper approach

1. Apply our working knowledge of transit data and real-time information

2. Survey vendors (49 represented)3. Survey transit agencies4. Write white paper5. Revise, with direct input from ODOT, transit

agencies, and select vendors

White paper objectivesFor ODOT

● Improve the passenger experience across transit agencies

● Align real-time technology trajectories with ODOT’s state-level data programs and interests, including by using real-time information in planning

● Provide a resource to help transit providers procure, implement and operate and maintain real-time information

● Identify how the ODOT might directly support real-time transit information in Oregon

White paper objectivesFor providers

● Support understanding of real-time technology through project and decision-making lifecycle:○ Design○ Procurement○ Implementation○ Operations○ Maintenance

● Provide a list of vendors to procure from

1. Pursue a modular approach:○ Components [next slide] can be procured,

implemented or changed over time○ Interoperable data and interfaces (such as GTFS

and GTFS-realtime) connect components together

RecommendationsFor transit providers

GTFS (static):Stops, routes, schedules (trips), blocks

GTFS-realtime:GTFS extension with:● Vehicle positions● Arrival estimates● Service alerts

All elements are related back to GTFS data (IDs).

RecommendationsFor transit providers

2. Prioritize customer needs:○ Accurate arrival estimates○ Availability of universal apps (e.g. Transit and

Google Maps)○ Provide context through service advisories

RecommendationsFor transit providers

3. Procurement○ Identify top priorities○ Provide lean requirements○ Request itemized prices for components to

facilitate negotiation○ Consider pilot

RecommendationsFor transit providers

RecommendationsFor ODOT

● Support locally-specific technology choice● Standards-setting● Piloting and experimentation● Group procurement● Knowledge sharing● Directories of real-time data (oregon-gtfs.com)● Data validation and prediction accuracy

assessment