The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is the transit authority for the Boston region providing commuter rail, rail rapid transit, commuter boat, paratransit, and bus service. A current policy goal at the MBTA is to develop an improved fixed-route bus system. To accomplish this goal investment in the bus fleet is underway and inclusion of ITS features in the investment mix is key. Two recent contracts designed to improve bus service include one to retrofit 95 diesel buses with GPS based automatic passenger announcement systems and another to introduce a number of ITS features on a new bus rapid transit (BRT) system. The BRT system will provide wayside, central control, and Internet information on bus arrivals, as well as, the trigger for traffic signal priority and is scheduled to initiate service in spring 2002. The MBTA also anticipates the delivery of more than 400 new vehicles, some to replace retired buses, and others to operate on new services. Many of these vehicles will be CNG powered. Delivery is expected in 2003–2004. In addition to the new fuel type, the MBTA will also be outfitting all of these buses with GPS based automatic passenger announcement systems, and linking some of them to the central control with a computer aided dispatch system. The implementation of the new ITS technology will help make the goal of improved bus service a reality. However, successfully integrating the new infrastructure into an existing organization requires knowledge of both where the MBTA is and where the MBTA wants to go.
Integrating ITS Technology into an Established Transit System
Seventh International Conference on Applications of Advanced Technologies in Transportation (AATT) ; 2002 ; Boston Marriot, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
2002-07-31
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Integrating Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Technology into an Established Transit System
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