New Tracking System Tackles Bus Bunching

Washington, D.C.'s DOT has adopted TransitIQ, a straightforward tracking technology, to help dispatchers keep buses on schedule.

1 minute read

October 4, 2015, 11:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc

SounderBruce / Flickr

Washington D.C.'s Circulator bus line has trouble with bus bunching. "It's when buses – due to traffic, delays in loading and unloading passengers, or variations in driver speed – cause other buses from the same route to be unevenly spaced. Instead of arriving every 10 minutes, multiple buses from the same route arrive at the same time and then another bus doesn't come for 30 minutes or more."

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is turning to TransitIQ, a smartphone-based system developed by EastBanc Technologies, to alleviate the problem. "By reliably tracking bus positions every three seconds, TransitIQ allows dispatchers to alert bus drivers in real time if they need to speed up or slow down to avoid bus bunching."

TransitIQ data is publicly available on the cloud via mobile app. "For Union Station – which has been a problem area for bus bunching – DDOT found that by adding a bus to the line three stops closer to Union Station, the buses were able to make it through traffic and continue to hit the 10-minute mark every time for the rest of their routes."

FULL STORY: “Bus Bunching” Being Solved in D.C. Thanks to Low-Cost Technology

Thursday, September 17, 2015 in Mobility Lab

Infrastructure Technology Transportation District of Columbia Washington D.C. Buses Bus Bunching Public Transit Mass Transit Frequency Circulator TransitIQ Open Data Tracking Transit View More

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