N.Y. MTA taps real-time information team
MTA Bus Time will enable bus riders to use smart phones, text messaging or their Web browser to learn how far the next bus is from their stop, saving them time and making bus travel easier. Users also can scan QR codes on bus stop signs to learn instantly when the next bus will arrive.
Cambridge Systematics Inc. and subcontractor OpenPlans Transportation were selected by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to develop the software for MTA Bus Time, a real-time bus customer information system for New York City.
MTA Bus Time will enable bus riders to use smart phones, text messaging or their Web browser to learn how far the next bus is from their stop, saving them time and making bus travel easier. Users also can scan Quick Response (QR) codes on bus stop signs to learn instantly when the next bus will arrive.
The system will launch in Staten Island next January, covering all local and express bus routes, and expand to the rest of New York City by mid-2013, covering 6,000 buses and serving 2.5 million riders.
The MTA Bus Time platform will allow third-party developers to build their own apps using real-time bus data, so travelers may soon be able to choose from dozens of different smart phone apps, tailored for different kinds of riders.
MTA Bus Time is a second collaboration between Cambridge Systematics and New York-based OpenPlans Transportation, who have teamed to deploy an open source transit data warehouse in the Atlanta region.
More Rail
Biz Briefs: RIPTA Unveils New Frontrunners, Clevland RTA Adds New Siemens, and More
In METRO's latest installment, we take a look at recent news from Siemens, Prevost, Dodge, and more partnerships making headlines across the transportation sector.
Read More →
CATS Gold Line Marks 5 Years of Service, 2.8M Passenger Trips
With a six-mile expansion planned, the Charlotte streetcar is positioned to connect more neighborhoods and major transit hubs across the region.
Read More →
Why Simulating Pedestrian Movement Has Become Essential for Modern Rail Stations
Pedestrian microsimulation is helping rail planners identify bottlenecks, test station designs, and prepare complex transit hubs for growing passenger volumes.
Read More →
Amtrak Begins Major Construction at New York’s Sunnyside Yard
The new maintenance facility will support Amtrak’s Airo trainsets while improving maintenance efficiency and turnaround times in New York.
Read More →
Chicago Leaders Unveil Plans for O’Hare Airport Express Train
The privately developed project would offer a 15-minute trip between downtown and O’Hare’s Terminal 2, with trains operating every 15 minutes on a dedicated track. The service would use battery-electric trains and three existing freight rail rights-of-way.
Read More →
OCTA Maps Out 30-Year Strategy to Protect Coastal Rail Corridor
The draft feasibility report identifies strategies to protect the coastal rail line for decades as the agency continues near-term stabilization and sand placement efforts.
Read More →
The Business Voice Behind Public Transportation
As chair of APTA’s Business Members Board of Governors, Ray Melleady explains how more than 850 business members are partnering with transit agencies to advance funding, innovation, and industry-wide collaboration.
Read More →
FRA Announces $5.3B in Rail Investments, Including $2B for Amtrak
Funding will support grade-crossing improvements, infrastructure upgrades, and new Amtrak equipment in 23 states.
Read More →
Finding the ‘Happy Medium’: Optimizing Maintenance Without Sacrificing Reliability
The key to maintenance optimization isn’t doing less work—it’s doing the right work at the right time on the right assets.
Read More →
OKC Streetcar Makes Zero-Fare Service Permanent
Ridership increased an average of 71% compared with the same period a year earlier during the fare-free pilot.
Read More →