In most large cities, public transit boasts a long history, being one of the most visible and vital services provided to citizens.
The transit system in Calgary, for example, goes back to 1909 when the CalgaryMunicipal Railway was established with a dozen electric streetcars. The Regina Municipal Railway goes back almost as far, opening in 1911.
A Rich History
The history of transit is not only long, but rich. Who knew that one of the biggest urban fires ever in western Canada happened on January 23, 1949? On that day fire ripped through Regina’s transit yard, consuming several garages and destroying 17 trolley coaches, nine buses, and five electric streetcars. Regina came to a standstill.
Over the years, public transit has come a long way. Electric trolleys gave way to electric, then gas, and now diesel buses. Fleets today are augmented with buses running on natural gas and biodiesel, and include articulated units, low-floor units, and even “kneeling” buses. Buses themselves have given way to things like the Skytrain in Vancouver and Light Rail Transit in Edmonton and Calgary. Again, who knew that when Edmonton’s LRT opened in 1978 and Calgary’s in 1981, they were some of the very first LRT systems in all of North America?
The Achilles’ Heel of Public Transit
Virtually everyone agrees that public transit has a clear advantage over the private vehicle, and this holds whether transit is assessed economically, socially, or environmentally. Economically, mass public transit is efficient. Socially, it is equitable. Environmentally, it is eco-friendly and sustainable. But, transit also has its Achilles’ heel. In most Canadian cities, it is not financially self-sustaining—it requires a tax subsidy to break even. The finger of blame here is pointed at everything from low urban population density to the automobile culture.
In my mind, however, it boils down to two things. First, the fiscal playing field between transit and the private automobile is very uneven. Cars, trucks, and motorcycles are relatively cheap to own and operate. The fact that roads and bridges are provided free of charge—paid through taxes rather than tolls—is a huge factor. Second, the private automobile is just more comfortable, quiet, and convenient. Transit can’t compete with all of that in the minds of most city dwellers.
But, a Regina-based company is out to change that.
Enter TransitLive
Dr. Raman Paranjape is a professor of electronic systems engineering at the University of Regina. To avoid the hassles of parking downtown one day, he took the bus. “It worked fine on the way out from the university, but on the way back, I had no idea if the bus was still to come or had come and gone,” he said in “New Software for Tracking Buses”. And, that got him thinking. He shared his thoughts with Dr. Graig Gelowitz, a University of Regina research engineer with a strong interest in location-based technologies, and Dr. Luigi Benedicenti, a fellow professor of engineering in software systems. Together, they felt that there was a logical and very practical application of locational technology—tracking and monitoring buses and routes in real time.
The trio decided to form Canadian Research Logistics (CRL Engineering). The focus of the company is to develop, apply, and market locational transportation technologies, with the specific goal of making public transit more effective, comfortable, and convenient—both for transit riders and transit providers. While the company has developed a number of products, the TransitLive Configuration (TLC) is one of the most interesting.
TLC allows transit riders to track the location and movement of buses across the city of Regina, including accurate arrival times updated by the minute. The technology lets transit riders view bus movements on a graphical map, which shows all the bus routes and also displays stops, stores, and points of interest as well. TransitLive can be customized by users to store preferred destinations and even provide personalized reminders. The utility can be accessed on personal computers via the Internet at www.transitlive.com or on a mobile phone browser by calling 306-596-6136.
TransitLive also offers riders the option of texting to get arrival times. Users can text the system and it will text them back. Users can even set up text alerts, so that they are warned when the bus is seven minutes, five minutes, and two minutes away from the stop. The alerts can be set up for every day, or in any cycle that users prefer.
Anyone can use the system—even without a computer or a smart phone. All they need to do is call the phone number and punch in a bus stop identifier. They will then receive an audio announcement of real-time information about the next three buses coming to the stop.
Beyond Cool
If all of that isn’t cool enough, transit authorities also benefit. With real-time information constantly available to operators, it becomes easier to manage the fleet effectively and efficiently because the position of each bus can be pinpointed. Transit operators can record, monitor, and account for delays and other events. TransitLive helps transit officials better prepare and respond to emergencies, and provides for enhanced safety and security.
“There are many potential uses for the TransitLive platform,” said Dr. Paranjape. “It allows the City to track its fleet, it can be employed to allow riders to actually order buses to a specific location, and it even has an emergency communications capability.”
Living Lab
Getting these impressive results was not easy, however. While CRL Engineering had solid theoretical and practical ideas on how the TransitLive Configuration system would function, they had no way to develop, refine, or prove-out the concept in the real world. What they needed was a robust environmental field to test and try the technology. What CRL Engineering needed was a “living lab.” They found that lab right at home—the City of Regina.
CRL and the City agreed to engage in a multi-year development process, and Communities of Tomorrow helped arrange and provide financial backing. In May 2010, two dozen of Regina’s buses began carrying GPS and cellular modem-enabled computer systems in a trial to optimize the system. The results were nothing short of spectacular.
An Award Winner
CRL Engineering has already earned two public acknowledgments for TransitLive. In 2010, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS) rewarded CRL with its Exceptional Engineering and Geoscience Project Award. In 2011, CRL was given the Award of Innovation at the 2011 Regina Chamber of Commerce’s Paragon Awards Gala. With the technology up and running, the TransitLive software system is headed for the world market.
Conclusion
Back to the Achilles’ heel of public transit. In the minds of many, the private vehicle offers more comfort and convenience. Who wants to wait for the bus in -40 degree weather stomping your feet, shielding yourself from the wind and wondering when—or praying if—the bus is coming to your stop? With TransitLive, that’s history. Users can stay inside where it’s toasty warm, and head out at the last minute just as the bus arrives.
That ups the comfort and convenience factor. That helps level the playing field.
Some expect that in Regina, TransitLive has the potential to boost ridership anywhere from 5% to 10%. That kind of gain is no small peanuts, and will help secure more revenue for public transit. That means TransitLive is also great for the future of transit-related infrastructure. Boosting ridership means transit inches closer to becoming more financially and fiscally self-sufficient—moving transit closer to a break-even position. In turn, that allows for a lowering of any tax subsidy. As noted in previous Canada West Foundation infrastructure research, self-sustaining user pay systems are easier to finance, fund, and maintain. The reason is that they depend on user fee revenue as opposed to tax dollars.
Increased ridership also allows transit to showcase its other benefits, particularly on the environmental front. It means reduced traffic, decreased congestion, lower consumption of resources, and less emissions and pollution. In the end, the TransitLive is much more than a small cog in the bigger wheel of a more sustainable transportation system. Kudos to the City of Regina and CRL Engineering.
– By Casey Vander Ploeg