This presentation provides some information on innovations in the transportation industry. By looking at collaborative user interfaces, and personal mobile devices, the transit and commuting cultures have and will continue to be transformed!

1. Text
TheTransit Hub
A Collaborative User-
Interface for Public Transit
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2. Digital Surfaces
Are Everywhere
Northbound
Next Bus
-7.06Min
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3. Motorist Information
Time and Temperature
Display
Building
Bus Signage
Some
Surfaces are
Designed for
the Public
Airline Departures Casco Bay Ferry
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4. Laptop Computer
Monitor
SMS Text
Message
Desktop Computer
Monitor
Some “Smart” Phones
Surfaces are
Designed for
Individuals
Internet Enabled TV
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5. But what about public
transit info?
Transit riders in the Greater Portland Region are provided
with minimal Route and Schedule information at important
locations like the Train Station or Jetport. This results in
poor on-time performance and leaves a negative
Where the schedule? impression when drivers are forced to answer simple
Portland International questions which could’ve been addressed through better
Jetport information design.
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6. But are things beginning to change?
From Article- METRO’s board of directors voted to
increase its budget by $70,000 yesterday to fund
technology upgrades aimed at boosting ridership across
the four-city service area.The technology, known as
automatic vehicle location system, or AVL, will let
riders check when the next bus is due to arrive using
smartphones, tablets and personal computers.
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7. What Makes Transparency Effective?
Quote From Francisca Rojas, research director at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Transparency Policy Project
“Simply providing information is
not enough. Format and content matter, and should address
the needs of a targeted audience. What we have seen in our study of transit
transparency is that local programmers have been the critical
intermediaries, taking raw data and generating a variety of
information tools that transit agencies could not have imagined on
their own. For other open government initiatives to spark this level of
innovation and public benefit, they must identify their audience of information
intermediaries and foster those relationships.”
Next Bus
-7.06Min
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8. So in other words...
Real-Time Data is only half the battle. Only
USERS understand how to make it
USABLE
Stakeholders
Decision Makers
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9. The Transit Hub
A Platform of tools designed to put the Public Back into
PUBLIC Transit
Regional Open
Collaborative Multimodal
Networked Scalable
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10. How it will work- Desktop/Laptop
Computer
Small Monitor in Tablet • Scheduling
Computer • Interactive Mapping
Local • Geolocation • Ticketing
• Contribute p2p Data
Establshment • Interactive Mapping
•Real Time Arrival Info
• Route Info
Next Bus
-7.06Min
Cell Phone SMS
Web-Based Application • Real Time
Location Time
• Contribute
GeoData
• Ticketing
• Contribute p2p
GeoData
Internet Enabled
TV
Smart Phone
Dedicated Server • Real Time Location Time
• Scheduling • Contribute GeoData
• Trip Planning • Ticketing
•Online Ticketing • Contribute p2p GeoData
• Interactive Mapping
• Scheduling
Real-Time Data Feed
• Trip Planning
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11. Open Transit Software
Examples
OneBusAway is a set of tools to improve the usability of public transit,
focusing on providing easy access to schedule and real-time arrival
information across a variety of interfaces.
Transit Data is made available through the “GTFS Data
Exchange”. GTFS stands for “General Transit Feed
Specification”
OpenTripPlanner (OTP) is an open source multi-modal trip
planner, which runs on Linux, Windows, or potentially
any platform with a Java virtual machine.. As of Spring
2012, the code is under active development, with a
variety of working demos from around the world.
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12. Transit Appliance Portland Oregon
Open Transit Linux-based software easily loads to recycled monitor displays
Hardware Examples
Transit Appliance running on Transit Appliance running on
recycled PC monitor $60 Chumby digital picture
frame
“Homebrew” Transit Stop Notifiers built with Open
Source “Arduino” Hardware and Open Transit Data
Real-time Bus notifier
Travelboard Norwalk CT. signals when bus is
See also Routefriend.com and Livable Norwalk approaching
Real-time GPS tracker
with Mobile phone uplink
Arlington VA Analog dial bus location
Java Shack Coffee Shop tracker using Arduino and
Mobilitylab.org Pilot Project OneBusAway software
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13. Bike-Ped
Examples
A Project of the University of
South Florida recently created
gtfs-osm-sync, which
synthesizes Google Transit data
OpenCycleMap
with user-contributed Bike-Ped
(a version of
data via OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap)
allows cyclists to
trace their own
The TRIMET trip planner in routes using GPS
Portland Oregon is the first and upload the
citywide implemtation of this Boston MA
data for other
program. The result combines
important cycling data with
users’ benefit. 128 Minutes w/Bicycle
transit trip times.
Electric Motor assist“E-Bikes” are becoming an
increasingly popular mode of transport. Applications like
the “Speedict” app for Android serve a variety of functions,
measuring everything from speed and battery life to GPS
tracking and navigation
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14. Challenge Conventional Solution Open Source Solution
Paratransit, Commuter
Vanpools and paratransit are
Low population in rural Vans and Park and Ride 1-800-VANPOOL
integrated into regional transit
areas can not support lots are subsidized
network allowing for scalable
regularly scheduled service. through state and federal
access in small communities.
Majority of population lives taxes. Automobile
Location transmitters add
in low-density regions with ownership is still a
1-800-VANPOOL
microtransit to the list of
low or no transit access. necessity for most
available choices.
citizens.
Massive resources Regional transit agencies
$ $ allocated to adopt an open standard and
Transit services are
centralized provide data sets to civic
managed seperately entrepreneurs who develop
bureaucratic authority
with limited applications according to
and out of state
connectivity. individual community needs
consulting firms.
Riders must wait outdoors Next Bus
-7.06Min
$ Outdoor Digital
Display-$25,000
Next Bus
-7.06Min
Civic entrepreneur
partners with local
$ Proprietary Vehicle business near stop
until bus arrives.
Location Software to display real time
Schedules are
$60,000+ bus location
approximate.
$ maintenance information.
Civic entrepreneur partners
No Bikes allowed on Amtrak Bike Car with local business to
Downeaster except for Wells participate in bike-share
and Portland (neither of program. Partner
Partner with non-profit to form Bike-Train
which have easy access to businesses are provided
program with additional “bike car”. Similar
bicycle facilities) with Android tablets with
programs exist on the MBTA, MNRR,
preinstalled software.
VIARail and GOTransit
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15. Congress St. Storefronts
BankNorth Office Building,
Falmouth Portland Public Library
Potential Transit Data Station
Locations
Maine Mall Entrance Lobby
Forest Ave, Hannaford Bros.
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16. The Regional Transit Platform
Open
Open data allows for
Regional local citizens and
application developers
Connecting dispersed
to innovate.
populations with
services and
employment centers.
Multimodal
Collaborative Transit system must
Unique collaborative include a wide
opportunities between variety of modal
civic entrepreneurs, choices.
transit providers, non-
profit sector, private
employers and tourism
industry.
Scalable
Diverse modal options
allow smaller
Networked neighborhoods to be
System must operate connected to larger
as a fully functioning neighborhoods.
network with mutliple
points and destinations
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17. Established Models
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18. For Supplemental Materials from this
presentation and others like it scan the QR
Code
or just go to
carfreemaine.org
facebook.com/carfreemaine ajawitz@carfreemaine.org
@carfreemaine 207 370 5481
youtube.com/user/carfreemaine
flickr.com/user/carfreemaine CarFree Maine
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