T3 Webinar Overview
Data to Go: Mobile Devices Serve Up Real-Time Transit Data (repeat webinar)
Date: June 26, 2012
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET
Cost: All T3 webinars are free of charge
PDH: 1.5 View PDH Policy
T3 Webinars are brought to you by the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program (ITS PCB) at the U.S. Department of Transportation's (US DOT) ITS Joint Program Office, Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). Reference in this webinar to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by U.S. Department of Transportation.
Background
The demographics of transit riders have changed significantly over the past five years with many more riders and non-riders using cell phones or even smartphones, which provide Internet access and other capabilities such as mobile e-mail and application programs. This has prompted transit agencies to look beyond providing information via traditional dissemination media such as dynamic message signs (DMS), which require more resources to implement (e.g., cost for installation, power, communication and maintenance). At the same time, agencies' capabilities to provide real-time information have grown considerably with many agencies deploying technologies that allow them to provide customers with real-time information, such as when the next vehicles will arrive at a particular stop or station. Further, since the early 2000s, there has been an explosion of mobile devices on the market, making it virtually impossible for agencies to keep current on the types of devices and their specific requirements, and be able to develop, manage and maintain mobile applications for these devices. This coupled with the fact that agencies can now provide more types of customer information caused agencies to look outside their organizations for third parties to assist them in providing information on mobile devices.
This T3 Webinar will discuss the state of the practice, and lessons learned in the use and deployment of real-time transit information on mobile devices. Webinar presenters are Carol L. Schweiger, TranSystems (Cambridge, MA); Mike Horsting, Regional Transportation Authority (Chicago, IL); and Tim Moore, Bay Area Rapid Transit (Oakland, CA).
The webinar will be hosted by David Jackson of the US DOT John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center.
Target Audience
Transit staff interested in learning about providing transit information on mobile devices
Learning Objectives
At the end of the Webinar, participants will be able to:
- Enhance participants' knowledge of the use of mobile devices to provide transit information
- Describe the five “dimensions” necessary to deploy information on mobile devices
- Describe the results of the questionnaire, and case studies from TriMet, BART, LeeTran and Transport for London
- Discuss best practices used by agencies to provide information on mobile devices
Agenda
Host
David W. Jackson, Transportation Industry Analyst, US DOT RITA Volpe Center
In last 18 years, Mr. Jackson's work has focused on program and policy analysis and project evaluation concentrating on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), transit technology applications, and management and operations (M&O) efforts at state and local levels of government, including performance-based transit and public lands operations.
Recently, he has led the production of two transit-ITS documents:
- Traveler Information Systems and Wayfinding Technologies in Transit Systems: Summary of State-of-the-Practice and State-of-the-Art Applications
(May 2011)
- FTA Transit Intelligent Transportation System Architecture Consistency Review - 2010 Update (June 2011)
Mr. Jackson currently manages the US DOT ITS Joint Program Office's (ITS JPO) ITS Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program Volpe team.
Presenters
Carol L. Schweiger, TranSystems Vice President
Cambridge, MA
Ms. Schweiger has 32 years of experience in transportation consulting, and is nationally and internationally recognized in the area of transit ITS, including real-time customer information systems. Her work in real-time transit information led to her being interviewed by The Financial Times in July 2005, as well as authoring and co-authoring numerous guidance and research reports on transit customer information systems. Most recently, Carol authored Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 91 - Use and Deployment of Mobile Device Technology for Real-Time Transit Information. This report was the impetus for the White House Roundtable on Real-Time Transit Applications, which was held on January 19, 2012. This meeting, organized by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), brought together representatives from public transportation systems and businesses to discuss the implementation of real-time public transit information in communities across the U.S.
Currently, Ms. Schweiger leads TranSystems' ITS business area. Also, she is contributing to several transit ITS planning, design, procurement and deployment projects, including those focused on real-time customer information. Ms. Schweiger has assisted over 35 transit agencies throughout the U.S. in planning, procuring, deploying, and evaluating their ITS systems.
Mike Horsting, Principal Analyst, Regional Transportation Authority
Chicago, IL
Mike was Principal Planner with Lee County (Fort Myers, FL) for 9.5 years until May 2011. During this time, he worked with LeeTran, Lee County's Public Transportation Division. At LeeTran, he directed, managed, and evaluated the tasks and duties of the transit planning and engineering department and its consultants. He also served as Project Manager in transit planning activities related to the County, such as BRT development, strategic plan updates, long range transit plans, transit facility design and construction, and special studies related to the transit goals and objectives of the County.
Currently Mike is a Principal Analyst with the Regional Transportation Authority in Chicago.
Tim Moore, BART Website Manager
Oakland, CA
Timothy Moore currently oversees interactive services for the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART). He led BART's early use of mobile, messaging, social and location-based services. He also developed BART's pioneering approach to open APIs and established some of the country's first policies and practices for open government data.
Mr. Moore's work has appeared in publications such as TechCrunch, Mashable, Fast Company, and Atlantic Monthly and has garnered numerous awards including a Webby, an AdMark ADDY and numerous APTA AdWheels. BART's homepage design is part of the permanent AIGA Design Archives at the Denver Art Museum. Mr. Moore is a frequent speaker on interactive strategy and innovation, open data, mobile services and social engagement.