New England University Transportation Center

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Public transit agencies have employed intelligent systems for determining

schedules and routes and for monitoring the real-time location and status of their

vehicle fleets for nearly two decades. But until recently, the data generated by

daily operations in the transit system were only available to managers and

engineers inside agencies. Transit riders could only consult static information

when planning trips, primarily through printed or online timetables or maps.

Where dynamic train or bus arrival predictions were accessible, riders could only

see this information on fixed signs at transit stations or stops. With the popular

adoption of smartphones and other mobile technologies transit riders gained the

capacity to access information anywhere and at anytime. Some transit agencies

have responded by publicly releasing disaggregated data files for schedules and

real-time feeds of vehicle locations. These agencies have thus empowered civic

entrepreneurs to innovate in delivering transit information to riders through

mobile applications and other technologically-assisted means.

US Transportation Collection