www.drpt.virginia.gov

Novem

ber,

2010

Transit ITS Planning– Workshops

Report on Statewide Transit

Intelligent Transportation

Systems (ITS) Planning

Workshops

ITS Virginia Transit Technology Information

Exchange Meeting

November 10, 2010

Contents

� Introduction

– Objectives

– ITS Strategic Plan

� ITS Planning Workshops

– Description of Workshops

– Workshop Participants

� Technology Assessment

� Analysis of Needs

– Survey Results

– Grant Opportunities

– Mapping Needs to Grant Opportunities

� Conclusions/Next Steps

Introduction

Objectives

Project Objectives:

� Identify near and medium term transit ITS needs around

the state

� Provide targeted assistance to support grant application

to fulfill these needs

� Develop ITS program update

ITS Strategic Plan

Objectives:

� Identify transit ITS technologies and their applicability

to Virginia transit agencies

� Provide an evolving map of the deployment of transit

ITS in Virginia

� Identify increased efficiencies, cost savings and greater

benefits through increased coordination of transit ITS

deployment in VA

ITS Strategic Plan

� Statewide Transit System Assessment

– Survey of current ITS technologies

� Technology Assessment

– High level description of ITS applications for public transit

� Evaluation and Deployment Strategy

– Including identifying opportunities for resource sharing

� Recommend VA Transit ITS Strategic Plan

– 2-year and 6-year timeframes

ITS Planning Workshops

Description of Workshops

� DRPT ITS Program Planning Workshop Purpose:

– Input to statewide ITS program

– Identify agency needs with respect to ITS technology

– Identify opportunities for coordination

– Increase awareness of DRPT funding opportunities

� 5 workshops so far:

– Charlottesville October 13, 2010

– Blacksburg October 14, 2010

– Arlington October 15, 2010

– Fairfax October 15, 2010

– Richmond October 25, 2010

Workshop Participants

Technology Assessment

Existing Technology Deployments in VAITS Technologies

TRANSIT OPERATOR

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Sample Vendors

Alexandria Transit CompanyApollo, Strategic Mapping, Schedule

Masters

Blacksburg Transit Mentor, Dilax, RouteMatch

Charlottesville Transit Service Connexionz, Safety Vision, GFI

Fairfax CUE NextBus

Fredericksburg Regional Transit Apollo

Greater Lynchburg Transit CompanyMentor, Apollo, RouteMatch, Schedule

Masters, GFI

Harrisonburg Avail, Safety Vision

Lake County Area Transit N/A

Mountain Empire Older Citizens Inc. EnGraph (ParaPlan)

Pulaski Area Transit N/A

RADAR Mentor, RouteMatch, REI

Arlington Transit Connexionz, GFI

Fairfax County DOT (Fairfax Connector) Trapeze, FLEETWATCH

Greater Richmond Transit CompanyClever Devices, Apollo, GFI, GIRO

(Hastus), RouteMatch

Loudoun Avego

Virginia Railway Express Scheidt & Bachman

Existing Technology Deployments in VA

10

Analysis of Needs

Needs Analysis

� Functional needs based survey filled out at workshop

� Round table discussion of current technology plans

� Discussion of current technology related issues

Communications

Maintenance Efficiency

Attractiveness / Security of

Service

Service Planning

Awareness / Accessibility

On-Time Performance

Less Important More Important

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Survey Results - Summary

Grant Opportunities

Demonstration Program Assistance available for ITS

deployment/support (95%)

� Timing

– Part of standard grant application process

– Develop applications between December and February 1st

– DRPT Evaluation March to April

– Notification in June

� Project should be identified in the ITS Program

� Project justification

– Needs (from this workshop

and subsequent validation)

– Benefits

� Planning documentation

– Project scope

� Project budget

� Project schedule

� Monitoring and evaluation

plan

� Certifications and

resolutions

� DRPT’s “Public Transportation and Commuter Assistance Grant Program Application Guidance “ available online

� Results of this workshop can provide a starting point

� Support available through this programming process

� DRPT grant application

Grant Opportunities

� Planning support

� Deployment support

� Deployment funding

� Cross cutting programs

Mapping Needs to Grant Opportunities

� Electronic fare media platform

� Real-time data sharing – API

� Coordinated information at multi-agency stops

Cross Cutting Programs

Next Steps/Discussion

Survey Results Improve On-Time Performance

� Highest Priority Objectives from survey:

– Knowing if there has been an unplanned service disruption

– Ability to know if a vehicle is running late or early

� Highest Priority Objectives from workshop discussion:

– Strong interest in AVL

technology

– Focus on CAD to aid on-time

performance during incidents,

events, construction, etc.

– Some TSP deployment interest

Survey Results Improve Awareness & Accessibility

� Highest Priority Objectives from survey:

– Automatic announcements of next stops

– Automated trip planning phone system or web page

– Real-time arrival information via web page

� Highest Priority Objectives from workshop discussion:

– Real-Time Customer Information:

• Data feed available to third-party vendors

• Web page

• Phone/IVR

• Wayside (especially N.Virginia)

• Coordinated info at multi-agency stops

– Automatic Stop Announcement (ASA)

Survey Results Improve Service Planning

� Highest Priority Objectives from survey:

– Ability to know which driver is driving which vehicle

– Historical performance statistics of system operation

– Electronically generate schedule, run, and vehicle block info

� Highest Priority Objectives

from workshop discussion:

– Improve fare collection,

smart cards

– Better and automated data

handling from APC, AVL

– Scheduling software upgrades

Survey Results Improve Attractiveness / Security of Service

� Highest Priority Objectives from survey:

– Ability to quickly locate vehicles in emergencies

– Recording interior and exterior video of a bus or rail car

(for security, liability, or safety concerns)

� Highest Priority Objectives

from workshop discussion:

– Automatic Stop Announcement

– Camera deployments

– Advanced fare collection

Survey Results Improve Efficiency of Fleet Maintenance

� Highest Priority Objectives from survey:

– Black-box recordings of crashes

� Highest Priority Objectives from workshop discussion:

– Performance monitoring to increase reliability

– Some interest in maintenance management software

Survey Results Improve Communications

� Highest Priority Objectives from survey:

– Send a silent alarm and alert dispatchers to bus emergencies

� Highest Priority Objectives from workshop discussion:

– Repeated interest in using MDT as communications device

– Various communication needs identified, including: narrowband

upgrades, fiber optics, increasing network capacity, etc.