Officials for the University of Wisconsin–Platteville weren’t sure they were a large enough university to implement an intelligent transit system (ITS) for their students. They needed real-time arrival predictions that would benefit the entire university, financially and efficiently. UW-Platteville found their solution in the partnership of ETA Transit Systems Inc. and Radio Engineering Industries Inc. (REI).

“ETA and REI came in with a willingness to listen to our needs and a flexibility to work with each other to identify the best possible solution,” said Amy Seebooth, of UW-Plattesville. “Perhaps more impressively was our aftermarket care. We still chat monthly about our changing situation and they make sure our capabilities meet the changing demands of our riders.”

Overall rider satisfaction has increased due to the availability of real-time arrival predictions via public and mobile websites, as well as the newly-launched SPOT mobile app. The system integrated with the existing student ID magnetic-stripe cards provides a critical tracking and reporting feature that improves overall efficiency. The overwhelming response has allowed UW-Platteville to expand its offerings by adding a third vehicle to its fleet.

“For us, it was a perfect opportunity to show just how effective and affordable SPOT® technology is for small- to mid-sized transit agencies. With UW-Platteville, we were able to implement a custom solution at a price point that made sense for their situation,” Nicole Castonguay, CEO at ETA Transit, said.