Tampa, Fla.'s Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) partnered with technology solutions provider United Data Technologies Inc. (UDT) to launch a fully Wi-Fi-enabled bus fleet, benefiting nearly 50,000 passengers each day.
Bus riders will now be able to stay connected without tapping into their own data plans thanks to this partnership. HART expects that adding free high-speed Wi-Fi to their 187-bus fleet will prove to be popular with the tech-savvy millennial crowd, many who attend college in the area and are frequent riders.
The agreement with UDT is to provide wireless connection for HART patrons for two hours at a time per bus ride. If the patron continues on the same bus over two hours, their connectivity will expire for 15 minutes then the connectivity will be restored for another two-hour connection on that same bus. The technical reasoning behind the 15-minute expiration is due to system configuration.
Installation began in February at an aggressive pace during non-peak hours and is just the beginning of a comprehensive "smart" card program that HART plans to roll out later this year, allowing passengers to travel the HART network using their smartphones.
According to a 2013 American Public Transportation Association survey, fully leveraging technology, including Wi-Fi, allows transit riders to be more spontaneous and helps undercut one key competitive advantage of cars.
The beginning of the final BRT segment advances construction across all five segments, reflecting steady progress toward shorter travel times, improved accessibility, and a more dependable connection to jobs, businesses, and community destinations.
The visit is part of the SF Fed's ongoing engagement with major employers and industries across Southern California and, more broadly, the western U.S. to better understand regional economic conditions and business outlooks.
Advances in data and analytics are giving transit agencies new opportunities to refine maintenance practices, improve efficiency and make more informed decisions about asset performance.
Today’s riders—and the communities you serve—expect more from public transit. While ADA compliance is required, leading transit agencies know that true accessibility also means delivering dignity, efficiency, and a better rider experience. This whitepaper reveals why forward thinking agencies nationwide choose the Low Floor Frontrunner as their first choice for ADA compliant vehicles—setting a new standard with passenger first design, faster boarding, improved safety, and unmatched operational performance.
In Part 2 of a two-part conversation, AC Transit’s director of maintenance joins co-hosts Alex Roman and Mark Hollenbeck to discuss his maintenance team’s work with various types of vehicle, training, augmented reality, and more.
Under this extension, Keolis will continue to manage and operate fixed-route bus service across the East Valley, serving communities including Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, the town of Gilbert, parts of Phoenix, and the Gila River Indian Community.
The new network reflects extensive input from riders and the community through Reimagine DART on what matters most in public transit — and those priorities are reflected in the changes ahead.
