California Public Transit – Challenges and ITS Solutions

1. California Public Transit – Challenges and ITS Solutions ITS America Annual Meeting & Expo Ray Tellis, FTA Monday, June 4, 2007 Palm Springs, CA

2. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit We learned about California from Session 9: • Largest population: 37M or 12% of US pop. • Twice national average population growth • 8th largest economy in the world • Highly varied topography and climate • Four seasons: Earthquakes, Fires, Mudslides and Smog

3. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Trip Planner • Transportation Challenges • Transit Challenges • US DOT Initiatives • ITS solutions • Transit & Paratransit ITS applications • Federal Role • Conclusion

4. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Transportation Challenges • Population • Economy • Congestion – “Stuck in traffic” • Air pollution • Goods movement

5. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Transit Challenges Improve mobility and increase ridership • Improve travel speeds • Improve reliability • Enhance safety and security • Enhance comfort • Close gaps • Lower costs

6. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Urban Partnership Agreement – May 2006 Pursue four strategies to reduce congestion • Tolling – congestion pricing, variable toll • Transit – create/expand express bus service, BRT, innovative commuter transit services • Telecommuting – employer agreements to establish/expand opportunities • Technology – cutting edge technology to improve transportation system performance

7. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Urban Partnership Eligible Applicants • Located within Metropolitan Statistical Area – US Census Bureau – 36 areas • Travel-time index >1.25 • Annual congestion cost > $600 • Daily congestion delay > 7 hours • Los Angeles (2), SF/Oakland (8), San Diego (15), San Jose (23), Riverside/SB (24), Sacramento (26), Oxnard/Ventura (65) (#) – Population Rank

8. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit ITS has applications in all ‘Four Ts’ Provides relatively low cost transit solutions • Signal Priority • Contactless fare collection – Tap, Smart cards • Real-time travel information – Next bus info • Advanced travel information systems • Automatic vehicle locator systems (AVLS) • Precision docking and other applications

9. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit FTA Small Starts & Very Small Starts Programs Small Starts - $75M federal, $250M total, Very Small Starts - $40M federal, $50M total • Signal Priority / Pre-emption • Low Floor vehicles • Special Branding • Frequent service – 10 min peak/15 min off peak • Transit stations

10. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Transit & Paratransit projects • Los Angeles County Operators - UFS • Los Angeles Metro – ATMS, TPS, BSP • San Francisco MTC – Transit Info. system • San Francisco MUNI – NextBus • Foothill Transit – SmartBus • Long Beach Transit – TransSmart • Samtrans – Collision Warning System • Access Services – Uniform Scheduling System

11. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Universal Fare System (UFS) • Regional integrated fare collection system • LA Metro, 11 transit operators, Metrolink • Electronic, automated, contactless fare cards • Rail and bus ticket vending machines • Hand-held validators • Separate regional customer service center • Financial Clearinghouse

12. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Universal Fare System (continued) • Used technical oversight consultants • Sub-contractor for fareboxes • Budget - $175M over 9 years • Only bus automated system in the country w/non-transit applications (parking, building access)

13. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus System Real-time fleet management system • Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) • Transit Radio System – data, voice, VAN • Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) • Automatic Passenger Counter (APC) • Automatic Voice Annunciation (AVA) • Vehicle Surveillance System (VSS)

14. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus System (continued) • Vehicle Health Monitoring (VHM) • Bus Signal Priority (BSP) • Traveler Information System (TIS) • RIITS (bus tracking) Interface • Universal Fare System Interface • On-board informational signs • Web based applications

15. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus System (continued) • Used technical oversight consultants • Sub-contractors/vendors for components • Budget - $2M to $80M • Becoming mainstream, part of vehicle procurements • Being implemented by most large transit operators, demonstrated by increased applications for AVLS

16. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus System Benefits • Fleet reduction – reduce fleet size • Improved travel time – service quality, reliability • Schedule adherence, avoid bunching – increased operational efficiency/effectiveness • Enhanced safety and security – continuous monitoring, incident response, less time at stops • Mechanical & diagnostic information – reduced labor, enhanced emergency vehicle dispatch

17. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus System Benefits (continued) • Increased ridership – route deviation and real-time schedule information • Increased market share – information for modal choices, linked to customer service systems, kiosks, Web • Worthwhile investment – reduced operating expenses. Savings from $40K to $2M annually

18. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus Lessons Learned • Secure and test data radio channel to work with AVLS for coverage & interference tests • Work with surrounding agencies for concurrence to get FCC license • Include everybody – maintenance, IT staff, radio communications, planning, police, transit security • Audit schedules and paddles for accuracy

19. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus Lessons Learned (continued) • Develop procedure for schedule changes, detours, etc. – need coordinated effort between operations, planning and system administration • Develop custody procedure for security data – how will public request for data be handled • Have maintenance staff present during installation – consistency makes troubleshooting easier

20. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Regional Real-Time Transit Information System • Data exchangestandard for real-time predicitions – all Bay Area transit operators • Disseminate information via phone – 511 • Disseminate information via Web – 511.org • Disseminate information via electronic signs • Signs will include multiple operator predictions • Rollout MUNI & BART – Summer 2007

21. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Uniform Scheduling System Customer focused paratransit applications • Trip Bookings/Reservations • Scheduling/Routing • Dispatch • Monitoring/Record keeping • Safety & Security

22. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Federal Role - FTA Increased grant awards requires increased oversight/monitoring • Ensure ITS Policy requirements are met – project included in Regional Architecture and System Engineering requirements followed • ITS Reviews based on risk assessments • Increased training for staff and reviewers • Resources available to grantees/project sponsors

23. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Conclusion California is a national leader in implementing traffic and transit ITS applications and is successfully addressing its transportation challenges with ITS solutions. A brighter picture ahead!

24. California ITS – Transit & Paratransit For further information: Ray Tellis Team Leader US DOT, FTA/FHWA Los Angeles Metro Office 888 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1850 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Phone: 213.202.3956 Email: ray.tellis@dot.gov