ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Service changes designed to improve on-time performance and increase passenger safety and comfort are planned by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (TheRide) to go into effect on Sunday, January 30.

stem-and-leaf plots, that's what they are called. some transit designs, almost all of which are different and better in some way. waiting for the design competition "one schedule twenty ways" envisioning all of the ways to show a route.

A system for notifying passengers waiting for public transit vehicles of the status of the vehicles, including the arrival times of vehicles at stops. The system includes global position determining devices located in the vehicles for determining the location of the vehicles along their routes. A central processor or computer is coupled to the global position determining devices for receiving the locations of vehicles therefrom. The processor is programmed to compute and update from the present location of the transit system vehicles and electronically stored information a transit data table which includes status information for all the vehicles in the system, including the location of scheduled stops, connections to other transit vehicles at the stops, and the arrival times of vehicles at their stops. The vehicle status and other information, including news and advertisements are then made available for public access

A system for notifying passengers waiting for public transit vehicles of the status of the vehicles, including the arrival times of vehicles at stops. The system includes global position determining devices located in the vehicles for determining the location of the vehicles along their routes. A central processor or computer is coupled to the global position determining devices for receiving the locations of vehicles therefrom. The processor is programmed to compute and update from the present location of the transit system vehicles and electronically stored information a transit data table which includes status information for all the vehicles in the system, including the location of scheduled stops, connections to other transit vehicles at the stops, and the arrival times of vehicles at their stops. The vehicle status and other information, including news and advertisements are then made available for public access

NextBus uses Global Position Satellite (GPS) technology and advanced computer modeling to track buses and streetcars on their routes. Taking into account the actual position of the transit vehicles, their intended stops, and the typical traffic patterns, NextBus estimates the bus arrivals with a high degree of accuracy. This estimate is updated constantly as the vehicles are tracked. The NextBus system is covered by U.S. Patents 6,006,159 and 6,374,176. The system is also produced under license from ArrivalStar, Inc. U.S. Patents 5,623,260; 6,411,891; 6,317,060; 6,415,207; 6,313,760 and 6,278,936.

1. A method of providing transportation-related information, comprising: receiving location information indicative of a group of passenger-carried wireless telephone devices on board a mass transit vehicle selected from a group consisting of a bus, a train, and an airplane; generating mass transit vehicle schedule information based at least in part on the location information indicative of the passenger-carried wireless telephone devices on board the mass transit vehicle; and transmitting data relating to the mass transit vehicle schedule information to a remote device in response to a user request.

LET has served the county since 1980 and operates a variety of services to meet the needs of 400,000 riders annually. In the City of Monroe, LET operates buses on eight fixed routes with 40-minute schedules. Frenchtown and Bedford townships feature door-to-door Dial-A-Ride services.

For more information about fares or routes, call 242-6766 or visit www.lakeerietransit.com.

From what I see, the previous executive director had a very top-down style. That has created an AATA culture where the staff, while very competent, aren’t empowered to speak up. Everything I hear about the interim ED, Dawn Gabay, tells me that she was a great operations manager, but that’s a different skill set than what is needed for an Executive Director.

Jesse Bernstein, president and CEO of the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed to the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority board of directors.

Bernstein was sworn in by Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje on June 19 and took his seat on the board at its July 23 meeting.

Three U.S. and five international agencies have measured
the public’s reaction to real-time arrival information. In a
few cases, survey results were obtained directly from re-
sponding agencies or were available in papers examined
during the literature search and review.

After several days of intermittent Metro bus service because of the winter storms, some people are getting frustrated. We asked seattlepi.com readers to send us their comments. The frustration is likely to continue; because of icy streets Metro will be operating about half its regular weekday service on Wednesday.

"We're driving in the same conditions everyone else is, but we're doing it in 40-foot rectangular buses," said Steve Banta, executive director of operations. "We're doing an extraordinary job, from my perspective. This is a very good effort for foul weather."

Regardless, TriMet canceled two-thirds of its bus routes, forcing thousands of would-be riders to hike to stops that were open or find another way to work or shop. Some stood waiting for buses that never came. About 130 stalled and stuck buses littered the region at one point.

What annoyed many passengers who rely on public transit was what they saw as a lack of information from Metro. The online bus tracker was not working, and getting through by phone was difficult. Canceled routes were posted, but other buses ran on "unpublished routes." That made it almost impossible to figure out when, or whether, buses would arrive, leaving no choice but to brave it out at bus stops.

Metro spokeswoman Linda Thielke said the bus tracker system often doesn't work during snowstorms because many buses change routes and don't pass the electronic detectors that usually track their movements. "There's a disclaimer on there (that says) in times of adverse weather the information is not updated on bus tracker," she said.

What's also interesting is the potential of these routing tools beyond actual specific individual routes. Taken in amalgamation the routing distances form a new topography of the space. Given a point in the city, how far can I travel in 20 minutes? in 40 minutes? for less than $1.75? This type of map is known as an isochrone. Tom Carden and MySociety developed London Travel Time Maps that allow users to highlight the spots in London given a range of house prices and travel times.

The bike station, funded by public transit agencies and operated by a private company, Warm Planet Bikes, has been in quiet operation on a limited basis since July, with around 70 to 80 people parking their bikes there every day.

Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, said the effort is a good example of how government can make it easier for people to get out of their cars by allowing people to "combine biking and transit to get around the region in a healthy, sustainable and convenient way."

* Improved information. The on-board AVL system is at the heart of TriMet’s TransitTracker real-time passenger information system, which provides bus arrival information over the Internet, by phone, and at nine bus stops equipped with electronic signs. The upgrade of the Orbital communications system, made possible with Streamline funds, will provide buses with Automated Stop Announcement (ASA) capabilities, similar to what already exists on light rail.

Schedule adherence improved by 23% in Baltimore, 12.5% in Kansas City, 8.5% in Hamilton (Ontario), and 4.4% in Milwaukee after AVL installation. Customer complaints have fallen by 26% in Denver since AVL installation. Assaults on bus operators and passengers dropped by 20% in Denver. New Jersey Transit’s revenues increased by 12% after automated fare collection installation. The system also saves millions of dollars per year in fare media handling costs.

Transportation Demand Management (TDM, also called Mobility Management) is a general term for strategies that result in more efficient use of transportation resources. This Encyclopedia is a comprehensive source of information about innovative management solutions to transportation problems. It provides detailed information on dozens of demand management strategies, plus general information on TDM planning and evaluation techniques. It is produced by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute to increase understanding and implementation of TDM.

last year's bus status report

Daniel Kwon, 22, a student from Berlin, said he had heard about BoltBus from his brother: “He said it was actually cleaner than the other buses. Not only does it have Wi-Fi, it arrives on time. I am German,” he said, with a laugh, “so I believe transportation should be punctual.”

Mr. Kwon’s brother was right about most things: the BoltBus was indeed spotless, including the rest room, and it did have Wi-Fi. Nevertheless, there was one problem: the BoltBus arrived in Washington 30 minutes late.

1056 people are looking for their bus.

Ever since the beginnings of bus mass transit, the people behind the systems have harbored a relatively simple wish: they have always wanted to know where their buses are, at all times, day and night. For Baltimore Mass Transit Administration, all that wishing is over. Working with Westinghouse Electric, the MTA has put together a computerized bus tracking system that can track the minute-by-minute performance of all its buses. The Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) system, its development and application are discussed.

Using satellite tracking, not schedules, NextBus tells you when the next public transit vehicle will arrive. (Mobile site)

In the Twin Cities, Metro Transit spent more than $12 million to outfit its buses with automatic vehicle location equipment. The NexTrip system uses global positioning satellites to monitor the location of a bus as it travels the street. The location is compared to the bus schedule to predict departure time for different stops.

The objective of this study is to develop a methodology to measure mobility in urban transportation corridors to support project level decision making. Transportation agencies struggle with measuring mobility, and measures are very seldom multimodal. Both VTrans 2025 and VDOT’s FY08 Business Plan stress the importance of multimodal mobility measures, yet measures developed by VDOT to date are for automobile travel and do not include other modes (e.g., transit, pedestrians, or bicycles). The proposed research will first measure the mobility choices that are currently available in a particular corridor; i.e., it will identify the potential in the corridor for multimodal mobility. This can then serve as a baseline for further analysis and for the identification of ways to increase multimodal mobility in the corridor. The project’s scope will be limited to the mobility of people in an urban corridor rather than freight.

office furniture and equipment piled on curb; landlord says “chronic non-payment of rent” caused eviction of web hosting company IAS; provides service for AATA; AATA website currently down;

some measures of public library integration with public transit, including travel times and quality of transit-oriented directions

What would it take to get you out of your car? Usability for public transport. Delivered 13 November 2008 for World Usability Day, UTS, Sydney, Australia (less)

According to Cambridge Systematics, Michigan could create over 6,000 jobs by investing in public transit. What’s more, implementation of a public transit system – like the ones being considered in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Detroit, and along the Woodward Corridor – would help bring Michigan into the 21st century, creating vibrant cities that attract young professionals. Building modern systems of public transit in Michigan, such as light and commuter rail, will help connect people to their jobs, their schools, and to communities.

commuter tools for riders of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority bus system

Michigan legislators need to Move Michigan’s Public Transit into the 21st Century!

A 21st century state must have modern transportation options to attract 21st century jobs and workers.

Michigan has the opportunity to launch a quality rapid transit system, including a Metro Airport commuter train, a Grand Rapids rapid transit line and more.

These projects will help jumpstart Michigan’s economy, create jobs and strong vibrant communities. Yet many Michigan legislators say we can’t afford to invest in transit. But can we afford not to?

Clever Devices is the only transit technology company known for designing scalable, modular, and cutting-edge solutions based on an understanding of how transit systems operate in the real world. We are known for being an innovative market leader because we understand the challenges our clients face from the bus depot to the statehouse. We understand the expectations and needs of all riders, including, and especially, the need to enhance accessibility. We are the only company in the industry that specializes specifically in the creation of sustainable transit systems – it is what we do; it is all we do; and it is why we are the best.

Winter is icummen in,
Lhude sing Goddamm,
Raineth drop and staineth slop
And how the wind doth ramm!
Sing: Goddamm.
Skiddeth bus and sloppeth us,
An ague hath my ham.
Freezeth river, turneth liver
Damn you, sing: Goddamm.
Goddamm, Goddamm, tis why I am,
Goddamm.
So 'gainst the winter's balm
Sing Goddamm, damm, sing Goddamm
Sing Goddamm, sing Goddamm,
DAMM.

The current level of bus service in Ypsilanti will be maintained next year, city officials said this week as they prepared to vote on a new contract with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority next Tuesday.

specs for transit maps

# From September 7-12th, 2008, ride the bus to work, take the Link, use Park and Ride, ride the a2Chelsea Express or check out the Nightride Shuttle and you could win free lunch from downtown restaurants for a week! Your organization could win free $5 Sweetwater's Gift Cards! There will also be prizes for the person who rides the bus the most number of times during the week. # And the best part is, you only need to ride the bus once to participate!

bus system we took

annual report for 2007 from the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority

We offer the BUS service for you, if you...
feel uncomfortable to go to the crowded airport
feel uncomfortable to take a flight
do not want their schedule dictated by the weather
do not want to drive by yourself
feel uncomfortable to go to Greyhound bus depot
low fare between LA and SF area

who will be parking their cars? The 57 million American households that have both cars and access to something resembling public transit. Gasoline at $7 begins to approach prices Europeans have paid for years, meaning that chunk of America “will start to act more and more like Europeans,” Mr. Rubin says. Not soccer moms in a minivan—soccer fans, searching for tokens:

Our analysis suggests that about half of the number of cars coming off the road in the next four years will be from low income households who have access to public transit. At their current driving habits, filling up the tank will have risen from about 7% of their income to 20%, an increase that will see many start taking the bus.

While including the same objectives from previous games by having players live in and expand their own, unique towns, City Folk includes a city area accessible by bus.

bus sked

"You get enough people taking the bus or getting on their bicycle, more people get the sense that it's not such a crazy idea," said Nancy Shore, director of getDowntown, a group devoted to easing congestion in Ann Arbor.

excellent collection of visualizations and maps including real time maps of transit infrastructure, using buses as giant spimes

The president of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority told members of the Ypsilanti City Council Tuesday evening not to rely on subsidies from the transportation authority anymore.

The AATA is proposing services changes in the fall. If you have any comments or concerns about the changes, there are ways for you voice your opinion.

On the morning commute, sometimes fog fills the river valley like a sleepy white dragon. Afternoons, the river sparkles in the lowering sun. A rider gazing at it likely will conclude that the #3 is the AATA’s most beautiful route.

Adopt that bus stop near your home or office, and make sure it's cleaned off.

When you get off the bus, please look around to make sure you aren't leaving anything behind.

"If we had been left alone, probably the building would be just about completed by now," said Greg Cook, who now works in Las Vegas, after losing his job as the executive director of the AATA following questions over travel expenses.

manufacturers of the transmission that goes into the AATA's new Gillig hybrid buses

The Allison parallel system provides both a mechanical and an electrical path through the drive unit. As the bus accelerates from a stop, electric drive predominates. The mechanical drive gradually blends with the electric drive until, at highway speeds,

hybrid bus technology

"People say how quiet these buses are compared to regular diesel engines," said Carnnell Taite, an AATA bus driver who has driven the hybrid buses.

Staff of the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study, which is developing the plan, hope to find out how the public would prioritize the recommendations and how the public might be willing to pay for them, said Terri Blackmore, WATS executive director.

Rates for riders making the one hour and 25 minute trip from East Lansing to Ann Arbor will start at $15 per person, with an introductory special in effect through December – buy two one-way tickets, get one free.

During a recent bus trip in Ann Arbor, Jim Rees noticed he couldn't read house numbers clearly through a shrink-wrapped advertisement on the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's bus.

news stream for AATA stories

student move-in route deviations on the 5 outbound cause unhappy riders who don't get picked up

Route 5 - Packard • To Ann Arbor: Regular route on Packard to State to William to Fourth to the Blake Transit Center. There will be no service on Thompson Street.

I thought about it. You know, I actually like riding the bus. I like having time to knit. Having time to knit, man, I really like that. And you know what else I like? Friendly drivers who treat me like a human being. Unlike the drivers I encountered when

Am I the only one who thinks the Pain in the Ass Factor of owning and maintaining a car far outweighs the Pain in the Ass Factor of waiting for trains?

That's right! As part of Curb Your Car Month, the AATA is offering free rides all day this Friday, May 25th. Read the press release here.

What has surprised me the most about my decision to live car-free was how many people told me that they envied me for being able to forego driving. Sure, I've gotten the "Are you crazy?" look from plenty of people, but almost as many times I heard "Gosh,

May is curb your car month in Ann Arbor, MI

Mass transit riders will be able to ride the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority buses for free May 25 as part of the city's Curb Your Car Month programs.

recommended transportation for detroit amtrak to windsor via-rail connections.

mobile phone + QR Code or semacode reader + real time bus schedules (like mobile ridetrak) = point and click bus status. if you have a fancy phone AND/OR you ride the AATA let's talk

for your international short haul transportation needs; includes the tunnel bus

"Wow, Free Press, this is really incredible journalism."

Learn more about buses with the pigeon, for Saul.

Ted Annis, a member of the AATA board, paused for nearly half a minute before giving his reaction to the resignation. "My official reaction is we wish him well,'' Annis said.

A strong and innovative public transportation system is also necessary for any city looking to expand and encourage more businesses to move in. Ann Arbor's transportation revitalization could be the first step toward promoting more growth in a city that d

The next step is winnowing the corridors -- Woodward, Michigan, Gratiot, Grand River and Eight Mile -- to one and selecting a system. Options include light rail, streetcars, express buses with dedicated lanes and an extension of the downtown People Mover.

On April 2, megabus.com will begin serving five new cities, including Ann Arbor, which will add about 20 minutes to the 5 1/2 -hour Detroit-to-Chicago trip. Some critics have said the stop is needed to fill buses that still run half-empty; Moser argued it

something I'd like to have, shouldn't be hard.

Ann Arbor Transportation Authority Executive Director Greg Cook said this morning that he is submitting his resignation today. (Note to self: pay for your own travel when you are job hunting.)

New hybrid buses could save a little more than $9,000 each in fuel costs during their first year of use, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority officials say. AATA has ordered 20 new buses, and at least 13 of them will be hybrids, AATA Executive Director Gr