Customers Will Have Access To Real Time Info For All Fixed-Route Buses

ALBANY, N.Y. (October 29, 2014) The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) Board of Directors announced the rollout of a Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) pilot program for its fleet of fixed route buses. RTPI takes the guesswork out of waiting and puts the power of riding in the customer’s hands by using Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) software to determine bus location and speed.

“We are pleased to roll out the one thing our customers, partners and the community at large have consistently asked for,” said CDTA Chairman of the Board David M. Stackrow. “Riders will have a more convenient and reliable experience, because they will be able to better track the services they are using and plan more effectively.”

Customers will be able to access real time transit information for CDTA fixed route services through the free CDTA iride mobile application for Apple and Android devices, through Google Maps’ mobile apps and maps.google.com, through the trip planner on its website (www.cdta.org) or by speaking with a customer service representative at CDTA’s Call Center. Customers will now see a gray clock icon near a route that indicates real time information is available. Real time is currently not available on Northway Xpress service.

Real time information has been available to Bus Rapid Transit BusPlus customers since its inception in 2011. Customers can access real time information by downloading the free BusPlus application for devices operating on Apple, Android and Blackberry platforms. Customers can also access BusPlus real time information through digital signage at stations, online, through text messaging, and via

e-mail.

CDTA tracks its vehicles using GPS devices to report bus location data back to its servers. This information allows CDTA to estimate when the buses will arrive at a stop. If a bus goes off its regular route, the system may not be able to fully predict accurate arrival times.

INIT is the worldwide leading supplier of Intelligent Transportation Systems and Electronic Ticketing Systems, assisting transportation companies worldwide in making public transport more attractive, faster and efficient. Founded in 1983, its headquarters are in Karlsruhe, Germany, and represented in Hamburg, France, UK, Finland, in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Singapore, Canada (Montréal, Toronto), Australia and in the US (Chesapeake, Virginia).