Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

Regional Coordination: A Regional Coordination: A Multi-Agency Computer Multi-Agency Computer

Assisted Scheduling and Assisted Scheduling and Automatic Vehicle Location Automatic Vehicle Location

DeploymentDeployment

1818thth National Conference on Rural National Conference on Rural Public and Intercity Bus Public and Intercity Bus

TransportationTransportationOmaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

Project LocationProject Location

• Minnesota Public Transit Minnesota Public Transit StructureStructure• 7-County Metro Area7-County Metro Area

• Everywhere elseEverywhere else• Growing “metroplex”Growing “metroplex”• Collar countiesCollar counties

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

Wisconsin

Canada

North Dakota

South Dakota

Iowa

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

Mn/DOT ITS HistoryMn/DOT ITS History

• More than 15+ years’ experience More than 15+ years’ experience with transit ITS deploymentswith transit ITS deployments

• Partnerships with other agenciesPartnerships with other agencies

• Communications evolutionCommunications evolution

• Technology evolutionTechnology evolution

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

Project HistoryProject History

• Metropolitan Council Metropolitan Council approached by Dept. of Human approached by Dept. of Human ServicesServices

• Mn/DOT-funded projects invited Mn/DOT-funded projects invited as participantsas participants

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

Our Transit ITS HistoryOur Transit ITS History

• (1991) Smart DARTS(1991) Smart DARTS• (1994) ARTIC(1994) ARTIC• (1998) 3-system Trapeze-Lite (1998) 3-system Trapeze-Lite

DeploymentDeployment• (1999-present) Various individual (1999-present) Various individual

projectsprojects• (2003) Paul Bunyan AVL-MDT(2003) Paul Bunyan AVL-MDT

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

What We LearnedWhat We Learned

• Communications infrastructure Communications infrastructure is different for each projectis different for each project

• Need a “local champion” at each Need a “local champion” at each project siteproject site

• Scheduling algorithms and Scheduling algorithms and report writing are entirely report writing are entirely separate products!separate products!

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

What We’ll Do DifferentlyWhat We’ll Do Differently

• CommunicationsCommunications• Web-based interface (Explorer or Web-based interface (Explorer or

Firefox)Firefox)

• Real-time mobile data transmission Real-time mobile data transmission and automatic vehicle location and automatic vehicle location using existing cellular technology using existing cellular technology (e.g. Blackberry, I Phone)(e.g. Blackberry, I Phone)

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

What We’ll Do DifferentlyWhat We’ll Do Differently

• Expectations have changed over Expectations have changed over the last 10 yearsthe last 10 years

• ““Test” organizations are fully Test” organizations are fully engaged in the projectengaged in the project

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

What We’ll Do DifferentlyWhat We’ll Do Differently

• Scheduling and reporting are Scheduling and reporting are treated as two separate productstreated as two separate products

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

Multiple Agency SchedulingMultiple Agency Scheduling

• Customized data entry screensCustomized data entry screens

• ““Trust relationship” from read Trust relationship” from read only to full accessonly to full access

• View and change trips scheduled View and change trips scheduled by another agencyby another agency

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

Constituent AccessConstituent Access

• End users may check on status End users may check on status of existing ridesof existing rides

• End users may cancel ridesEnd users may cancel rides

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

Rider InformationRider Information

• Standard info, plusStandard info, plus• Unique identification numberUnique identification number

• Eligibility by serviceEligibility by service

• Multiple funding sources, etc.Multiple funding sources, etc.

• Access based on the trust Access based on the trust relationshiprelationship

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

SchedulingScheduling

• Batch and single insert Batch and single insert schedulingscheduling

• Multi-Modal schedulingMulti-Modal scheduling• User defined parametersUser defined parameters

• Unique for each partnerUnique for each partner

• ReoptimizationReoptimization• Suggest solutions that may Suggest solutions that may

include mixing with fixed routeinclude mixing with fixed route

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

ReportingReporting

• Built on a relational databaseBuilt on a relational database

• Common reports availableCommon reports available

• User must be able to access User must be able to access database using commercially database using commercially available report writeravailable report writer

• Customize for specific DHS Customize for specific DHS needsneeds

Minnesota Department of Transportation – Office of Transit – October 20, 2008

Contact Us:Contact Us:

Sarah Brodt Lenz, Program AdministratorSarah Brodt Lenz, Program AdministratorMn/DOT Office of TransitMn/DOT Office of Transitsb.lenz@dot.state.mn.ussb.lenz@dot.state.mn.us(651-366-4177)(651-366-4177)

Andrew Krueger, Customer Services ManagerAndrew Krueger, Customer Services ManagerMetro Mobility Service Center Metro Mobility Service Center andrew.krueger@metc.state.mn.usandrew.krueger@metc.state.mn.us (651)602-1679(651)602-1679