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The Future of Travel Information at Hampton Roads Transit

The Future of Travel Information at Hampton Roads Transit. ITSVA 14th Annual Conference April 29, 2008 David Sullivan Sr. V.P. Planning & Technology. Traveler Information Systems. Today Google Transit – Web-based Trip Planner Email Alerts TimeTable Publisher Coming Soon

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The Future of Travel Information at Hampton Roads Transit

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  1. The Future of Travel Information at Hampton Roads Transit ITSVA 14th Annual Conference April 29, 2008 David Sullivan Sr. V.P. Planning & Technology

  2. Traveler Information Systems • Today • Google Transit – Web-based Trip Planner • Email Alerts • TimeTable Publisher • Coming Soon • The Navigator – HRT’s CAD/AVL • Next Bus Arrival Signs • Expand Google Transit • Future • Web-based Near Real Time Bus Location • Mobile Web

  3. Google Transit • Built on Google Maps • Free Transit Trip Planner • Get step-by-step transit directions • Find transit stops in your area • View station information and schedules • Compare transit trip cost to driving • Includes 37 U.S. Transit Systems

  4. Using Google Transit • Go to Google Maps • Click on Get Directions • Enter Starting & Ending Address or place names • On the Search Results – Click “Take Public Transit”

  5. Transit Riders Easy to use Simplifies complex timetables and schedules Multimodal Powerful map engine Tied to all of Google’s search results Plan trips across multiple systems No URL’s to remember Transit Agencies Free Extract data from existing service planning systems The “Google” effect More current maps No place name database to maintain Attract new riders Improve coordination Benefits of Using Google Transit

  6. Google Feed Specification Google accepts transit feeds that contain the following files: • agency.txt- Required. This file has information about transit agency • stops.txt - Required. This file contains information about individual locations where vehicles pick up or drop off passengers. • routes.txt - Required. This file contains information about a transit organization's routes. A route is a sequence of two or more stops. • trips.txt - Required. This file contains information about scheduled service along a particular route. Trips consist of two or more stops that are made at regularly scheduled intervals. • stop_times.txt - Required. This file lists the times that a vehicle arrives at and departs from individual stops for each trip along a route. • calendar.txt - Required . This file defines service categories. Each category indicates the days that service starts and ends as well as the days that service is available. • calendar_dates.txt - Optional. This file lists exceptions for the service categories defined in the calendar.txt file. If calendar_dates.txt includes ALL dates of service, this file may be specified instead of calendar.txt. • fare_attributes.txt - Optional. This file defines fare information for a transit organization's routes. • fare_rules.txt - Optional. This file defines the rules for applying fare information for a transit organization's routes. • shapes.txt - Optional. This file defines the rules for drawing lines on a map to represent a transit organization's routes. • frequencies.txt - Optional. This file defines the headway (time between trips) for routes with variable frequency of service.

  7. Email Alerts • HRT uses GovDelivery.com • Overall general information subscription through goHRT.com, RidetheTide.com and other HRT websites • Ability to follow specific web pages for updates • Subscribe to Passenger Alerts • Subscribe to HRT’s jobs postings • Construction Alerts for the Tide light rail project

  8. What are Timetables? A timetable is the publicly available document outlining the bus services for a particular route. The relevant operator is responsible for preparing, maintaining and distributing their timetable. Key components of time table are: • Effective date • Schedule and time points • Map with time points and transfer locations • Transfer location and connecting route information • Holiday Schedule • Bus Fare information • Wheel Chair and Bike rack service availability • Information on different services provided • Contact information

  9. Process Flow Information sent to Marketing for Design • HASTUS REPORTS • Schedule Time tables created manually Using Quark Express software • Information from Scheduling • Mapping info • Transfer locations • Holiday info • Connecting routes • Wheel chair & Bike rack avail • Fare information • Contact information Timetables Sent to Scheduling & Planning For Proof Reading

  10. Automating Timetables Process of Generating Time Tables can be expensive, time consuming, laborious and prone to error. There is an acute demand among Transit managers to make this process simple and easy. They want to use technology to create this information. Time Table Publisher is a Tool which is used to dynamically create time tables. It helps in • Creating Timetables and route maps • The information provided is dynamic, which can be used by Customer Service Representatives to provide public with most recent and accurate data • It can also be used to manage Websites • It generates information in various formats and can be used in wide variety of ways such as in PDA’s and Cell Phones • It reduces the time to create and publish timetables significantly • The process is simple to use and easy to manage

  11. TimeTable Publisher Tool • TimeTable Publisher is an open source application and is available for free. • The TimeTable Publisher is a tool that allows a transit agency to examine, modify, and transform raw scheduling data into easy-to-read timetables for customer information purposes. • The application simplifies and accelerates the production of printed on-street schedules and web schedules, which is often a very time-consuming and manual process for most agencies. This results in more accurate, current, and consistent schedule information for the customer. • It is a tool that produces timetables in various formats • The TimeTable Publisher is designed to use data directly in the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format, so it can be very easy for an agency to implement.

  12. Information Flow Using TableTable Publisher GTFS Input Parameters Configuration Time Table Publisher Output Time Tables

  13. Benefits of TimeTable Publisher Tool • Open Source application (Free) • The Time Table Publisher helps Marketing to prepare public schedules and timetables in various formats • Easy to use • Information is dynamically generated • Minimal effort to implement • Acceptance of Google Transit Feed data makes the generation of raw data very simple and standardized • Timetable output is produced in various formats

  14. What is the Navigator Project? • Advanced Communications System • New Radio Infrastructure • Voice and Data messaging • Computer-Aided Dispatching • Automatic Vehicle Location • Automatic Passenger Counters • Automatic Stop Announcements • Continental (formerly Siemens VDO)TransitMaster

  15. Navigator Features • Navigator on the Bus • Navigation Sub-systems • Audio and Visual Next Stop Announcements • Vehicle Maintenance Monitoring • Automatic Passenger Counting • Destination Sign Interface • Fare Collection System Interface • Advanced Traveller Information

  16. Next Steps • Navigator full system deployment Summer 2008 • Google Gadgets for Trip Planning • Next Bus Arrival Signs at transfer centers and bus stops in early 2009 • Deploy near real time bus location information via the web • Provide timetables, website and next bus arrival information to mobile devices • Add more Virginia transit agencies to Google Transit

  17. Questions David SullivanSr. V.P. Planning & TechnologyHampton Roads Transit1500 Monticello AveNorfolk VA 23510757-222-6121dsullivan@hrtransit.org

  18. References • Google Transit - http://www.google.com/transit • GovDelivery - http://www.govdelivery.com/ • TimeTable Publisher – http://www.timetablepublisher.com • TransitMaster - http://usa.vdo.com/products_solutions/public-transit-solutions • Google Feed Specification - http://code.google.com/transit/spec/transit_feed_specification.html • A T3 Webinar sponsored by the Volpe Center of U.S. DOT entitled “How to Implement the TimeTable Publisher: will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 from 1:00-2:30 P.M. EDT. http://pcb.volpe.dot.gov/t3/s080514_open.asp

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