INIT GPS/CAD AVL System
The INIT system provides Metro with various technologies to improve the service provided and records the information necessary to ensure that routes are efficient as possible.
On each bus there are several components which are used to collect this information. GPS, LAN, and Radio antennae, as well as Active Passenger Counters or APCs to count passengers as they board and alight. This is all controlled by a control panel in reach of the driver, branded as the Co-Pilot. And finally, a mobile radio interface (MRI) manages sending real-time information back to dispatch.
Data is sent to and from the busses using the same equipment as the voice radio, saving on equipment costs. A signal is sent out as data to switch the radios back to voice if needed. The radios will be sent another signal to go back to data, or will time out after a period of time.
Location information is sent to the main servers in real time. From there, it is sent to dispatch to aid in bus location and provide Customer Service Representatives with information for customers. The busses can be located on a map, and approximate travel times to destinations can be calculated.
This same information is passed off to another server, which generates information to be displayed to the public. The information is displayed on LED signs or LCD screens at main transfer points. It is also available on the web, and through desktop software powered by the Yahoo Widgets engine. The “Widget” software tells the users which busses are coming to a stop, and whether or not those busses are on time.
The same server powers the data behind Metro’s txtLink service. Passengers can text Metro with a code corresponding to a stop, and a text will be sent back with information on busses coming to that stop.
Passengers can also receive route information through Google Maps. Both the website and mobile applications are supported. The information for Google is generated by the Init software as the routes are created, and can then be uploaded directly to Google for use in their maps.
When busses come into the garage, they automatically connect to a wireless network, and send detailed information into a statistics database. This information can then be used with software provided by Init to perform extensive route analysis and get detailed passenger and fleet information. If Init’s software does not provide the detail needed, the database can be accessed through other software such as Crystal Reports.
Init is also capable of smart-card reading and fare handling, and those capabilities may be integrated into the system later on.
In all, the Init system covers all the technology aspects of a modern transit system. It provides services to the passengers as well as dispatch and supervisors, while also providing deep analysis data for the bus routes.