Evaluating Real-Time Bus Arrival Information Systems

2000 ◽  
Vol 1731 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabi G. Mishalani ◽  
Sungjoon Lee ◽  
Mark R. McCord
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Transit System ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
Bus Stops ◽  
Transit Agencies ◽  
Time Systems ◽  
Time Information

Real-time transit passenger information systems are intended to improve the level of service provided by transit agencies. For example, passengers are given real-time information on the expected arrival times of buses on various routes at bus stops. These real-time systems reflect emerging applications in public transit, and methods to evaluate their benefits are limited. An evaluation method is presented that focuses on the potential benefits of bus arrival information systems to passengers waiting at bus stops. Passenger arrivals and transit bus operations are modeled as a stochastic system in which the operator uses real-time bus location data to provide bus arrival-time information that maximizes passengers' utilities. Simulation results reveal the nature of the dependence of system benefits on the type of real-time data available to the operator and the bus operations characteristics. An application to an existing bus transit system demonstrates the feasibility of the developed method and its role in assessing the value of real-time bus arrival information systems to passengers.

scholarly journals Understanding the Transit Market: A Persona-Based Approach for Preferences Quantification

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gamal Eldeeb ◽  
Moataz Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Choice Model ◽  
Information Provision ◽  
Travel Behaviour ◽  
Error Component ◽  
Transit Market ◽  
Bus Service ◽  
Transit Agencies ◽  
Real Time Information ◽  
Time Information

The study aims at utilizing a persona-based approach in understanding, and further quantifying, the preferences of the key transit market groups and estimating their willingness to pay (WTP) for service improvements. The study adopted an Error Component (EC) interaction choice model to investigate personas’ preferences in a bus service desired quality choice experiment. Seven personas were developed based on four primary characteristics: travel behaviour, employment status, geographical distribution, and Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC). The study utilized a dataset of 5238 participants elicited from the Hamilton Street Railway Public Engagement Survey, Ontario, Canada. The results show that all personas, albeit significantly different in magnitude, are negatively affected by longer journey times, higher trip fares, longer service headways, while positively affected by reducing the number of transfers per trip and real-time information provision. The WTP estimates show that, in general, potential users are more likely to have higher WTP values compared to current users except for at-stop real-time information provision. Also, there is no consensus within current users nor potential users on the WTP estimates for service improvements. Finally, shared and unique preferences for service attributes among personas were identified to help transit agencies tailor their marketing/improvement plans based on the targeted segments.

Advanced Techniques for Travel Time Data Collection

1996 ◽  
Vol 1551 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn M. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Cellular Phone ◽  
License Plate ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Video Imaging ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Travel Time Data ◽  
Time Information

Travel time information is becoming more important for applications ranging from congestion measurement to real-time travel information. Several advanced techniques for travel time data collection are discussed, including electronic distance-measuring instruments (DMIs), computerized and video license plate matching, cellular phone tracking, automatic vehicle identification (AVI), automatic vehicle location (AVL), and video imaging. The various advanced techniques are described, the necessary equipment and procedures are outlined, the applications of each technique are discussed, and the advantages and disadvantages are summarized. Electronic DMIs are low in cost but typically limited to congestion monitoring applications. Computerized and video license plate matching are more expensive and would be most applicable for congestion measurement and monitoring. Cellular phone tracking, AVI, and AVL systems may require a significant investment in communications infrastructure, but they can provide real-time information. Video imaging is still in testing stages, with some uncertainty about costs and accuracy.

Are Small- and Medium-Sized Community Paratransit Riders Ready to Adopt Real-Time Information (RTI) Technology?

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (51) ◽  
pp. 56-67
Author(s):  
Jeffrey J. LaMondia ◽  
Travis Gajkowski ◽  
Veronica Ramirez
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Infrastructure Investment ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Transit Agencies ◽  
Older Populations ◽  
Real Time Information ◽  
Time Information ◽  
Estimation Parameters

This research seeks to understand the factors affecting who, in small and medium-sized communities, would adopt real-time information (RTI) technology when using paratransit services. It further provides a planning performance measure that can identify areas which would benefit most from the introduction of such RTI technology. These goals are addressed by modeling paratransit riders’ likelihood of adopting RTI technology as well as forecasting communities’ likely adoption using on-board passenger survey data collected in two small- and medium-sized communities in Alabama and Georgia. Overall, the estimation parameters highlight that future generations of paratransit patrons who are familiar with general technology and use paratransit for non-routine trips would be most interested in and gain the most benefit from this RTI technology. The performance measure is also most effective in long-term transportation planning, applied to future older populations (currently 45–55 years old) who are more comfortable using technology. Transit agencies will be able to use this information to determine whether RTI would be appropriate for their communities as well as the populations that should be targeted for this introduction prior to undertaking a large study or infrastructure investment.

Towards more helpful bus tracker apps for blind transit riders

First Monday ◽  
2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Babu ◽  
Paige Fuller
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Time Of Arrival ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Verbal Reports ◽  
Blind Users ◽  
Travel Planning ◽  
Transit Agencies ◽  
Time Systems

Bus trackers aid in travel planning with real-time bus arrival and location information. However, their sight-centered design means they’re inherently challenging for the blind. A clear understanding of their help-seeking situations in interacting with bus trackers is necessary to design appropriate help features as a solution.We present a qualitative method to study help-seeking situations of blind users in interacting with bus-trackers, and illustrate its application on the use of CTA bus tracker. Think-aloud observation of seven participants generated verbal reports of performing bus-tracking activities. Qualitative analysis explained what, where, and how help-seeking situations arose in learning the interface, in site interaction, determining estimated time of arrival, requesting ETA alerts, and finding bus location. We elaborate results pertinent to key help-seeking situations, the underlying help needs, and design implications for appropriate help features. The paper contributes a feasible qualitative method to study help-seeking situations, as well as valuable insights into the thoughts, actions and perceptions of blind users in real time bus tracking. This represents the first step towards developing the tool to transform the 45 million blind citizens into empowered transit riders. Implications for transit agencies, real time systems designers, and research in travel management, human-computer interaction and cognitive science are discussed.

scholarly journals DYNAMIC TRIP PLANNER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT USING GENETIC ALGORITHM

Transport ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-167
Author(s):  
Abhishek Basu ◽  
Bharathi Raja ◽  
Rony Gracious ◽  
Lelitha Vanajakshi
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Public Transport ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Computation Time ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Transit System ◽  
Positioning Systems ◽  
Trip Planner ◽  
Chennai City

This paper reports the development of a public transport trip planner to help the urban traveller in planning and preparing for his commute using public transportation in the city. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) approach that handles real-time Global Positioning Systems (GPS) data from buses of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) in Chennai City (India) has been used to develop the planner. The GA has been shown to provide good solutions within the problem’s computation time constraints. The developed trip planner has been implemented for static network data first and subsequently extended to use real-time data. The “walk mode” and Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) have also been included in the geospatial database to extend the route-planner’s capabilities. The algorithm has subsequently been segmented to speed up the prediction process. In addition, a temporal cache has also been introduced during implementation, to handle multiple queries generated simultaneously. The results showed that there is promise for scalability and citywide implementation for the proposed real-time route-planner. The uncertainty and poor service quality perceived with public transport bus services in India could potentially be mitigated by further developments in the route-planner introduced in this paper.

DBSSG Predictable Real-Time Information Systems Task Group.

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Fisher ◽  
Paul Fortier ◽  
David Hughes ◽  
Mayford Roark
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Task Group ◽  
Real Time Information ◽  
Time Information
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