Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit (START) selected Equans, Masabi and the Transit App to provide solutions to modernize its services to improve reliability, efficiency and passenger experience. START serves over 1,000,000 cyclists a year, serving both residents and visitors.

Equans will provide its NAVINEO Integrated Intelligent Transport System (ITS), including Computer Aided Dispatch/Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL), which offers real-time dispatch functionality for detour or trip cancellation information. route.

Automatic Voice Announcement (AVA) will provide input to signage and interior next stop announcements, along with real-time passenger information via the Transit app and a link to the General Transit Flow Specification (GTFS) / GTFS RT). This will allow passengers to be informed of the location of their bus and its arrival information, as well as giving START useful information on the use of the bus validator by location.

Equans’ performance reporting module will provide START with the ability to easily retrieve, summarize, and analyze performance data for internal use and planning, as well as meet all federal reporting requirements at the grassroots level. National Transit Data (NTD) database, including vehicle revenue miles, vehicle revenue hours, passenger-miles traveled, and unrelated passenger trips.

Ticketing innovation using riders’ mobile phones and new START smart cards will be provided by Masabi, the company that offers fare payment as a service to public transport. Masabi will roll out a next-generation account-based ticketing system across the entire START network, powered by the Justride platform.

The new system will significantly improve the customer experience, as passengers no longer need to select fares or purchase tickets before boarding and simply tap their mobile devices or smart cards to travel, increasing the passenger safety and helping to speed up boarding times. With new fare cap technology, passengers will be charged the best prices for their journeys, providing improved fare fairness and accessibility for passengers.

“As home to Yellowstone National Park and one of the best winter sports destinations in the world, how Jackson and the surrounding area presents itself to visitors is vital,” said Bruce Abel, director of public transit. at START. “This partnership with Equans, Masabi and the Transit app will see great improvements in our reliability and consistency of service delivery, putting more information in the hands of passengers than ever before and making ticket purchasing and boarding START buses as easy as pressing a few buttons on your smartphone.”

“Equans is delighted to partner with START to deliver a fully integrated intelligent transportation system that will improve the reliability and consistency of START service delivery for local passengers and tourists and ultimately deliver a better passenger experience through accurate real-time passenger information,” Stephan Goguet, COO at Ineo Systrans USA, an Equans company, said.

“Cities around the world are rushing to deploy solutions that will solve the inconvenience and time-consuming task management elements involved in providing mass transit service,” said Brian Zanghi, CEO of Masabi. “We are thrilled to have been chosen to provide account-based ticketing to one of the most recognizable tourist destinations in the United States. This implementation of the Equans CAD/AVL system and real-time information with Masabi’s account-based ticketing, alongside our proven partnership with the deployment with Transit App, means that START passengers will now have access to ticketing technology and passenger information, providing convenient mobility as a service (MaaS) experience.”

“At Transit, our top priority is to provide agencies with the support they need to deliver reliable, top-notch service,” said David Block-Schachter, CBO at Transit. We are excited to work with START, Equans and Masabi to deploy solutions that will not only improve the experience for cyclists, but also increase fairness and access for cyclists in the South Teton area.

According to city authorities, Hanoi’s Kim Ma–Yen Nghia bus rapid transit (BRT) system has helped ease traffic congestion and boost its passenger numbers and revenue.

Federal, state, Allegheny County and transportation officials gathered in downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday to inaugurate the long-awaited Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, project.

“Modern cities demand world-class public transit,” said Katharine Kelleman, CEO of Pittsburgh Regional Transit. “Projects like this are transforming the way people think about mobility in Pittsburgh and the way we get around.”

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has championed the project for years and described it as “transformative” for the region because it will connect Pennsylvania’s second- and third-largest economic centers. Other speakers agreed, saying regular and reliable BRT service would be an economic boon.

“I want people to know…suburbs and even outlying counties: This project is for you, too,” said Democratic Congressman Conor Lamb, who serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He said people might not travel to Oakland, where many jobs are, but can travel downtown. With BRT better connecting the two, “all of a sudden [it] double the job market for a young person in Beaver County.

“This project represents a significant investment in our community, improving the lives of thousands of cyclists traveling to and from many of our densest and most vibrant neighborhoods,” Kelleman said.

However, BRT will serve fewer passengers than originally planned. The planned branches to Highland Park and Greenfield have been cut for the time being.

The Federal Transit Administration is a major funder of the project, and officials want to be sure that what they fund will be successful, said David Huffaker, director of development for PRT.

“For it to be a big construction contract, they were worried it would be too risky,” he said.

The project will now only run from Oakland to downtown, and construction will be split into smaller pieces. Huffaker said PRT hopes to begin work on the downtown loop in early 2023.

The $290 million price covers the downtown segments in Oakland, as well as all sidewalks, bike lanes and other amenities associated with the work. Huffaker said the success of this first phase puts PRT in a good position for future federal funding.

After richmond stories

Nope stories could be found

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) — On Thursday, community members had the chance to meet the artists who will transform Rochester’s transit stations.

Artists, RPT staff and community members gathered at Café Aqui in Rochester to get an inside look at the new Link Rapid Transit.

The project is a proposed 2.8 mile bus rapid transit route along 2nd Street SW. The bus will arrive every five minutes on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will arrive every 10 minutes at other times.

RPT staff recruited artists to create pieces for the stations. Their art will be featured on the glass of the station, along the path and along the columns.

“This [the design] is an imagery, the landscape of Rochester. Some of the elements are related to local plants, mainly with Native Americans. Plants, for them, were not just about substance, but about social interactions, gatherings and rituals. So I want to pay tribute to them,” said artist Pricila DeCarvalho.

The 2nd Street SW Corridor is one of the busiest corridors in the City of Rochester, carrying nearly 22,000 vehicles and 13,000 transit riders each day. Construction is expected to start in 2024 and the bus line is expected to start operating in 2026.

Copyright 2022 KTTC. All rights reserved.

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Baton Rouge will receive $59 million for several pedestrian improvement projects and the rapid transit project.

Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced the funds on Friday. She said the INFRA (Infrastructure for Rebuilding America) grant would support the expansion of the Skyway north, the improvement of the Florida Boulevard Corridor and the Scotlandville Parkway Mobility Network.

“This grant will provide significant pedestrian improvements on two key corridors, increase the capacity of the Skyway and help build our bus rapid transit project,” Broome said. “Our successful pursuit of federal funds means we can make even more improvements with our MOVEBR projects.”

Broome said the funds will be used as follows:

• Airline Highway North expansion to improve a five-mile segment of U.S. Route 190 by adding one lane in each direction, improving turn lanes, and adding connections to local transit, bicycle and pedestrians.
• The Florida Boulevard component to provide pedestrian and bus improvements and establish BRT infrastructure along approximately six miles of Business U.S. Route 90.
• The Scotlandville Parkway Mobility Network to convert an existing footpath into a new multi-modal linear footpath.

With fanfare and speeches that wouldn’t be out of place at a political rally, the SunRunner – Tampa Bay’s first line of bus rapid transit – made its public debut on Thursday, October 20 at an evening launch in downtown St. Petersburg.

The event featured members of the St. Petersburg High School Marching Band, mascots from the Tampa Bay Rays and Rowdies, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony complete with confetti bursts. Less than 24 hours later, at 6 a.m. Friday, the SunRunner’s first passengers boarded at St. Pete Beach for a quick trip to downtown St. Pete made possible by dedicated lanes and platforms. raised for faster and safer boarding and disembarking.

According to the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, which operates the SunRunner, more than 10,000 people used the service, which cost $44 million to build and includes specially designed hybrid-powered buses, during its four days. The Federal Transit Administration has allocated $28.1 million for the SunRunner. The Florida Department of Transportation, the PSTA and the City of St. Petersburg also contributed funds.

“Today is the culmination of so much hard work and marks the beginning of a new era here in Pinellas County,” said Yvette Taylor, FTA Regional Administrator for Florida. She, along with several other city, county and state officials, gave speeches at the SunRunner launch. “This 10-mile line will improve everyone’s access to jobs, schools, medical appointments and just to see friends and family.”

According to the PSTA, there are over 50,000 jobs and 40,000 residents within half a mile of the SunRunner Road, making it an asset not only for tourism but also an economic opportunity for residents. Not everyone reacted positively to the new BRT service. The City of St. Pete Beach has objected to the SunRunner, even though the municipality bears no financial cost, and some residents and businesses have expressed concern over increasing traffic congestion along Gulf Boulevard.

From Greenlight Pinellas to All For Transportation in Hillsborough County, transit initiatives in the Tampa Bay area have struggled to find traction with a majority of ratepayers, some of whom have banded together as part of the No Tax For Tracks campaign to oppose a light rail system. . Some proposals, such as Greenlight Pinellas, have failed at the polls, while All For Transportation, which would levy a 1% sales tax on highway projects, has repeatedly faced legal challenges that have ousted it altogether. ballot.

These setbacks, however, were clearly in the rearview mirror when SunRunner launched. St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch was county commissioner when Greenlight Pinellas went to vote, and he says that move, while ultimately unsuccessful, “laid the groundwork” for BRT.

“These steps, painful as they are, have helped us get to this point where we all know we live in the best community,” Welch said at the SunRunner launch event. “But other than that, what will make this even better is if we’re more accessible, more affordable, and more sustainable, and modern, efficient public transit does all of those things.”

To encourage people to try SunRunner, PSTA made the service free for the first six months. After that, the fare will be in line with normal rides: $2.25 per ride, or $1.25 for residents on the reduced fare.

“It will be the model for more improved public transit options in St. Petersburg and the region as a whole,” Welch said. “As our city grows, SunRunner will provide a premium transportation option, something we’ve never had before, and remove vehicles from our roads, resulting in cleaner air. and less traffic, plus relief from increasing parking demands. That’s what progress looks like, folks.

Welch’s last point, about parking, is especially important given the rapid growth of downtown St. Pete. Developing the SunRunner route necessitated the removal of on-street parking along high-traffic routes, but this move simultaneously allowed the city to create more lanes for bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters, which have become increasingly popular transportation options as the city’s younger demographic trends.

“It’s no secret – parking is very limited downtown and on St. Pete Beach,” says Pat Gerard, Pinellas County Commissioner and Chairman of the PSTA Board of Directors. “The SunRunner will make traveling between two of Pinellas County’s most popular destinations easier and easier. You won’t spend hours looking for a parking space. Climb aboard and you will be there quickly.

People of all ages, however, will appreciate the SunRunner’s many comforts, which include free Wi-Fi internet service, charging ports at every seat, and indoor bike storage. The buses are also equipped with transmitters that communicate with traffic lights along the 10-mile, 16-stop route, turning them green as vehicles approach.

“Between this technology, a dedicated lane and limited stops, the SunRunner is approximately 30% faster than current bus service,” David Gwynn, Florida Department of Transportation Secretary, District 7, said in a statement. “The SunRunner is unlike any other transit system in the area.”

With its traffic priority system and frequent service – buses will arrive every 15 minutes until 8 p.m., then every 30 minutes until midnight, seven days a week – PSTA says SunRunner users will benefit a service closer to light rail, rather than a traditional bus service.

“My hope,” Gerard said at the inaugural event, “is that SunRunner will connect with a new generation and show them that you don’t have to have a car to live in this beautiful city. Either By the way, we’re the largest metropolitan area in the country that doesn’t have a public transit system. So, we’re working on it, and this is just the beginning. SunRunner shows we need to support public transit. and invest in transport – we can’t keep building more roads.

“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where locals are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. If you’d like to contribute to a column on a topic that matters to you, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life – or anything else – send a submission to viewpoints@wchl.com.

Explanation: What is the North-South Bus Rapid Transit (NSRBT) service in Chapel Hill?

A view from John Rees

We are transit buffs and are really excited about the planned North-South Bus Rapid Transit (NSBRT) project in Chapel Hill. This article details what the line is and how it will help transit and traffic in Chapel Hill.

First of all, what is Bus Rapid Transit?

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably been somewhere with rapid transit. Maybe you’ve taken the LYNX light rail in Charlotte, MARTA in Atlanta, or the subway in DC. What makes them fast transit? Three things:

Dedicated track

If you take the metro, you won’t be stuck because a freight train is using the track in front of you. The entire track is used exclusively by Metro.

Regular service

Although schedules vary, MARTA trains generally run every ten minutes during peak hours and every twenty minutes when it is less crowded.

Stations

When you take LYNX rapid transit, you’re going to a station, where it’s nice and safe to sit and wait to get to your destination.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) includes all of the above, but the system uses buses instead of trains. You get most of the benefits of rapid transit – a dedicated lane, regular service, and stations – but it’s much cheaper to build and operate. Cities across the United States, from Richmond, Virginia, to Orlando, Florida, have opened BRT lines, with great results.

Ok, so what is the North-South Bus Rapid Transit (NSBRT)?

The North-South BRT will be Chapel Hill’s first bus rapid transit route, connecting the Eubanks Park & ​​Ride lot to the Southern Village Park & ​​Ride lot.

For current bus riders, you know it as the NS route. But the NSBRT will be faster, more reliable and more enjoyable in every way, from the moment you arrive at the station until the moment you arrive at your destination. There will also be a multi-use trail on both sides along most of the route (except downtown, which already has sidewalks), connecting you safely to your destination after getting on or off the trail. ‘bus.

Here is a map:

How is it different from the NS bus?

The bus will have its own lanes for most of the route

As part of the project, dedicated bus lanes are being built or converted (except via campus). This allows the bus to stay on time at all times of the day.

In addition to dedicated lanes, the BRT will benefit from traffic light priority (TSP)

This means that if a traffic light receives a wireless message that a transit vehicle is approaching, the green lights will stay on a little longer and the red lights will turn green a little faster. This helps keep BRT on schedule!

The stations will be at the level of the bus entrances

This means that people who use mobility scooters, a bicycle or who have a sleeping child in a stroller will be able to get on and off the bus without any problems. This makes boarding time faster and more accessible to everyone.

Premium resort amenities will be included

This could include secure and sheltered bicycle parking, wifi, charging stations, water refill stations, etc.

We get a multi-purpose path!

A multifunctional path is under construction as part of the project on both sides of the course (except for the city center and the campus which already have sidewalks).

Do you live between two stations? No worries, you’ll have a safe and easy way to get there and back home whether you’re walking, biking or rolling.

Added service, including night and weekend

If you want to go out to eat downtown at 8 p.m., you can take the bus and not have to worry about getting back at a reasonable time. And you won’t have to pay to park!

Real-time timetable information

Although it will soon return to Chapel Hill Transit, BRT stations and vehicles will feature integrated vehicle tracking and real-time timetable information. You’ll never have to wonder when the next bus will arrive again!

A fleet of all-electric BRT vehicles

It’s electric!

Why are we excited about this?

Because buses make Chapel Hill a great place to live, and the BRT will make it even better. Already, Chapel Hill Transit is the second-largest transit system in North Carolina, with over 3,000,000 (!) trips made each year.

Our bus has been free for twenty years and tens of thousands of people rely on it to get to the UNC campus and other destinations in Chapel and Carrboro every day.

The NSBRT will build on this success by creating fast, reliable service along one of the city’s busiest travel corridors. The city is already working on plans to support more housing, jobs and services within walking and cycling distance of BRT (transit oriented development or TOD) stops. A focus on fair TOD (ETOD), hopefully means more people who work in Chapel Hill will have the opportunity to live here as well.

Investments in high-quality public transit like the NSBRT allow people who work in Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC hospitals and downtown businesses, etc.) to rely on public transit as their primary mode of transportation. This could enable a family to go from two cars to one car, or from one car to no car, as they can rely on frequent, useful and affordable bus service.

We are also thrilled because the NSBRT Multi-Purpose Trail helps connect currently disconnected neighborhoods and communities.

Imagine riding an e-bike safely from the Homestead Aquatic Center to the Chapel Hill Public Library (connecting the path under construction on Estes), or from a downtown cafe to your apartment complex on MLK. This project will make getting around by bike, on foot and by bus so easy that you won’t even think of driving.

I don’t plan to use the NSBRT. Are there any benefits for me?

Yes! Even though many people use the bus, the majority of passengers are UNC employees and students. Where does that leave people who don’t work in Chapel Hill?

Three points to ponder:

More people using NSBRT means fewer cars on MLK

Each BRT vehicle can carry at least 60 passengers. At peak, there will be around nine BRT vehicles in service. If every passenger on each of these buses drove their own car, that would mean 60 more vehicles on the road FOR EACH OF THE NINE BUSES. This has both traffic congestion AND environmental benefits. For reference, here’s what 60 cars look like. Now multiply that by nine.

Even if you never set foot on the bus and enjoy walking, running, or biking, you’ll have a great dedicated multi-use trail along the BRT corridor

This path helps users reach or leave a stop. And it also opens up active transportation options on MLK for commuters and recreational uses!

ETOD plan helps NSBRT and Chapel Hill solve housing and traffic problems in one fell swoop

Without NSBRT, traffic will get worse, which means NCDOT will eventually offer route expansions to maintain its acceptable level of service.

This means losing a LOT of trees along MLK in the right-of-way. (If you need proof, travel north on MLK, just past the I-40 interchange, and watch the forest clear cut for the I-40 widening).

Widening MLK will likely exacerbate congestion as well (oh hey, induced demand). If we build the NSBRT, we can keep our trees AND support a lot more housing in high traffic areas.

What is level boarding?

Although existing buses have the capability of “kneeling” (when the operator can lower the entire bus to curb level), it takes time to lower and raise the vehicle and contributes to the ” otherness” of people with disabilities. Level boarding means that station platforms and vehicles are always lined up, making getting on and off the bus easier, faster and more comfortable for everyone on wheels or on foot.

And sports ?

One of the stations will be a six-minute walk from Kenan Stadium. I recently went to a Carolina football game (I rode my bike) and saw lots of cars in traffic. Imagine parking at Southern Village or Eubanks Road (depending on where you’re coming from) and catching one of the buses after the traffic jam.

What do you need now?

Major capital projects like the NSBRT are more successful when funding comes from a variety of sources. Discretionary grants are available through programs such as FTA’s “Small Starts” capital improvement grant program, but they are extremely competitive. Funding requests are evaluated based on a variety of factors, including the split between local (i.e., non-federal) and federal contributions to the total project cost. This is usually reported as a percentage. Projects with a higher percentage of local funding are more competitive.

The NSBRT currently has very little local financial support, beyond a small amount allocated from transit tax revenues collected by Orange County. Neither the city of Chapel Hill, nor UNC, nor the State of North Carolina have invested significant funds in this project. The absence of strong local suitability of local partners could have a negative impact on the reputation and competitiveness of the project.

What can I do to help?

We’re glad you asked! Here are some ways to get involved:

• Email the Mayor and Council (mayorandcouncil@townofchapelhill.org) and let them know that you support the project and that the Complete Community initiative should better integrate this important investment.
• Tag @unc and @uncmedcenter on Twitter and ask them to support this project financially.
• Write a letter to DTH or the News and Observer
• For the love of God, VOTE! Especially for candidates who support investment in multimodal transport!

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Viewpoints on Chapelboro is a recurring series of opinion columns submitted by the community. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author and do not reflect the work or reporting of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.

Related

The Thi Linh in Van Khe Urban Area in Hanoi’s Ha Dong District sometimes takes the BRT to get from her home to Giang Vo Street.

However, it often takes longer to get there than a normal bus, because during rush hour the BRT lane is often congested with private vehicles encroaching on it.

“If private vehicles on the priority lane reserved for BRT, BRT, they cannot circulate, just like normal buses. That’s why BRT still can’t attract passengers,” Linh said.

Hoang Van Minh, a resident of Ba La urban area in Ha Dong, said it was clear that the development of BRT had failed due to poor vision and unreasonable urban transportation planning.

He said this was due to the layout of the BRT on high traffic routes, many multi-storey buildings, narrow traffic areas and too many intersections.

“The BRT occupies one-third of the road width and crosses many intersections, so all the roads crossed by the BRT have become traffic congestion points,” Minh said. “In some BRT stations, there is no pedestrian bridge and passengers have to cross the roads, which poses a threat to road safety.”

Deficiencies

According to the Hanoi Public Transport Operation Center, after five years of use, the BRT has been accepted by people who praise its quality of service.

The number of BRT passengers has increased, but not greatly. There were 5.3 million BRT passengers in 2018, up 6.3% from 2017.

In 2019, BRT served 5.5 million passengers, up 3.7% from 2018. Meanwhile, the number of passengers reached 5.356 million in 2020, down 2.6%.

BRT has advantages that create differences between it and normal buses. As a specific lane is reserved for the BRT, it can circulate without problems at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour on average. The duration is stable and the punctuality rate is high.

When BRT line No. 01 was introduced, Hanoi hoped it would replace private vehicles and help ease traffic congestion.

However, problems arose during the trial operation of the BRT. Private vehicles encroach on the BRT lane, reducing the speed of BRT traffic.

Cameras placed on Quang Trung Street show that in one hour, about 308 vehicles circulate on the BRT tracks. The number is 707 on To Huu Street.

Hanoi has tried to solve the problems, including allowing normal buses to run on the BRT-only lane.

However, another problem arose. Bus shelters are located on the right side of the roads. If normal buses run on the BRT lane, passengers have to cross the road to catch the buses, which makes the traffic worse.

Planning failures

Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy director general of Vietnam’s Roads Authority, said it’s clear that the country’s first BRT route has not been successful.

According to Thanh, Hanoi scheduled the BRT in a hurry and did not carefully review the plan. BRT routes are on narrow roads such as Le Van Luong and To Huu, but Hanoi still allows multi-storey buildings, which reduces space for BRT.

“There should be a system with many roads connected to each other. Hanoi plans to set up eight BRT routes. If routes can be arranged reasonably, passengers will take BRT instead of using private vehicles,” Thanh said.

He said that before organizing the next BRT routes, Hanoi must create favorable conditions for the BRT to operate efficiently.

Priority lanes for BRT should be reserved and vehicles encroaching on the lane should be severely punished. Normal buses must also stop running on BRT lanes.

“In South Korea and Indonesia, the BRT works very efficiently, especially in Indonesia, where the transport conditions are similar to those in Vietnam. This is because they set BRT routes on proper roads and give top priority to BRT,” Thanh said.

He thinks that it would be better to use a hard median strip to separate the lane reserved for normal vehicles and the lane reserved for BRT.

Seen Diep