The use of “smart bus technology” is an important part of London Transit’s Long Term Growth Strategy, which includes bus rapid transit service design.
The technology supports the building of an effective, efficient and sustainable transit service benefiting all Londoners, including improved customer service and service delivery through the provision of “real-time” service information, on-board announcement and display of next stops, traffic signal priority, automatic passenger counts, interactive voice response and web-based travel information.
The technology is being implemented in two phases. Phase I included:
· Automatic “in-vehicle” visual displays of next stop locations
· Automatic “in-vehicle” audio announcements of next stop locations
· Automatic external audio announcements of route name, direction and destination
· Tracking of in-service buses along routes via Global Positioning Technology, providing a more accurate tracking of bus locations
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Automatic on-street information signs with real-time information for next buses – 10 (noting that 6 on-street information signs are currently in place) strategic locations including four regional shopping malls, University of WesternOntario, FanshaweCollege and downtown
Phase II includes:
· Interactive, telephone voice response with real-time information for next buses and travel planning · Real-time schedule information via LTC website
· Automatic Passenger Counters on 43 buses, supporting better service planning
· Traffic (transit) signal priority – interfacing of bus fleet (service) to City of London’s traffic light system Other facts and figures Number of buses: 192 (141 are low floor accessible) Number of routes: 35 plus 3 community bus routes (26 are designated fully accessible, including the Community bus)
Number of stops: more than 2,500 Ridership: Current budget - 21.7 million - approximately 75,000 passengers per weekday Service hours: 542,000 annual revenue service hours
