The UCF Traveler Information System will provide real-time estimated times of arrival and traveler information by way of Web pages and smart phone applications.
Dubbed "Go Smart," the one-year pilot program is funded by participating colleges and the 16 governments that Omnitrans serves. To continue the program beyond the free pilot phase, the agency will ask students to approve a transit fee through referendums on each campus next spring.
A recent transportation survey conducted at the University of Hawaii at Manoa shows that, while most students still drive to campus, with promotion of sustainable modes of access to campus, the number of students who took public transit increased to 17 percent.
CATA already has begun equipping its buses with GPS, which could save ASMSU money in the program's development. The app's development is still in its beginning stages.
Prior to the launch of the service last September, the college and Saratoga Taxi maintained an arrangement to provide free rides for students returning to campus after 11 p.m. Free cabs are available to students between the hours of 4:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.