GPS allows bus to be tracked by riders, dispatchers and schedulers
Information released by Link Transit
Link Transit is launching a suite of online tools that will give riders much more information about where their bus is, let them subscribe to notifications of delays and reroutes, and give them a way to provide feedback on service issues, all on their smartphone.
This is the culmination of a nearly two-year long project to equip all Link buses with GPS hardware that allows the bus to be tracked by riders as well as Link Transit dispatchers and schedulers. Additionally, buses are equipped with automatic passenger counters that record where people get on the bus, and at what time. No personal information is collected through these passenger counters.
Riders can download the free mySTOP Mobile app from the App Store or Google Play. Once they have selected Link Transit from the list of transit systems, they can select their route or their stop to find out where the bus is, and how long it will take to get to their stop.
“This is really the future of passenger information. With the constantly increasing number of people with a smartphone in their pocket, we can now provide real-time information to our riders so they don’t have to be left wondering where their bus is”, said Eric West, Link Transit Marketing Coordinator. “Reading a bus schedule is one of the biggest barriers to getting folks to make the switch to transit, and with this technology, it largely removes those issues. We think these new tools will be of great use to our existing riders, and make it easier for new people to begin using our services.”
Aside from the benefits to Link riders from this system, there is a host of information provided through the system that will assist Link in making route and scheduling decisions in the future. Additionally, this technology allows operations staff to monitor route performance in real-time, and make on-the-fly adjustments to routes and schedules in case of an accident or other event that will impact the route.
More information about the mySTOP app and the process for setting up notifications can be found at www.linktransit.com/mystopapp or by calling 509-662-1155.
Link Transit has partnered with Avail Technologies, located in State College, PA on this project. Avail Technologies provides intelligent transportation services (ITS) to small and medium sized transit properties throughout the United States. More information is available at www.availtec.com.
