Public transportation in Memphis is about to get a whole lot smarter, Memphis Area Transit Authority officials believe.
Under a $10 million contract with Xerox subsidiary Affiliated Computer Services Inc., MATA buses and trolleys will be linked to a state-of-the-art Intelligent Transportation System by late 2011.
The system, several years in the works, will use GPS technology and wireless communications to make sure transit vehicles run on schedule, avoid mechanical breakdowns and enhance rider security.
"It's certainly going to increase the efficiency of everything we do," said Tom Fox, assistant general manager of administration. "The customer should see a huge benefit in on-time performance."
It will supplement an outdated radio dispatching system used to keep in contact with 177 vehicles on roads or rails on a given day. Drivers will no longer announce stops; instead there will be automated announcements.
LED signs at transfer stations will provide alerts about vehicle arrival times, and MATA officials hope to add a feature that allows customers to sign up for alerts by text or voice messages.
The system will give MATA the capability to monitor engine and transmission vital signs remotely, count passengers exactly and pinpoint where they get on and off.
For security, installation of six video cameras on each bus and eight cameras on each trolley will expand surveillance and offer the capability for live streaming to monitors at headquarters.
Fox said the project team is still probably a year away from testing new hardware and software systems on buses and trolleys. RNR Consulting, a management consulting company, is providing project oversight.
"With emerging technology in public transportation and our ITS project, the MATA will have immediate access to data to aid our staff in planning and improving overall service," MATA president and general manager William Hudson Jr. said.
ACS, acquired by Xerox in February, provides technology solutions for fleet and workforce management, mobile data communications, data management and traveler information systems.
"By aligning technology and operations, ACS is able to provide a system that will benefit both passengers and MATA," said David Kachemov, senior vice president and managing director for the company's Transportation Solutions Group.
Fox said the effort began as an attempt to update a nearly obsolete radio dispatching system used to communicate with regular buses, MATA Plus buses for the disabled, trolleys and supervisors' vehicles.
MATA selected ACS through a couple requests for proposals. It supplied Nashville transit's ITS. Competitors included Siemens and Clever Devices.
By Wayne Risher
Source: The Commercial Appeal