7CV004 Transport Systems Engineering

ITS For Public Transport

Learning outcomes
 Understanding of different ITS applications for public transport
management
 Comprehension and evaluation of limitations of different technologies
for public transport operations
 Analysis of requirements of multi-modal public transport

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Needs for Public Transport / Intermodal Travelling

 More efficient travel

• Better use of saturated capacities especially road and air
• Road congestion costs in the EU amounts to about 1% of GDP
(120 billion Euros)
 Safer travel
• 43,000 road deaths in EU 27 (2006)
 Cleaner travel
• CO2 emissions for transport increased by 32% (1990-2005), 73%
of the total from road transport
• If nothing done a further increase of 15% (2005-2020)
 More comfortable travel
• Accessibility for persons with reduced mobility
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Source: European Commission Policies for Intermodal Passenger Travel

Intermodal European Trip - Example

Source: www.eu-portal.net
ITS Applications for Public Transport Management

 Passenger Information Systems

 Multimodal Trip Planning
 Dedicated Lane Enforcement
 Public Transport Priority
 Public Transport Payment Systems

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Passenger Information Systems

Objectives
• Enhance integration by improving passenger
information at interchanges
• Enhance economy/efficiency and environment
through encouraging modal shift in favour of public
transport
• Reduce social exclusion by enhancing the Public
Transport service offering with associated
accessibility benefits.

Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Passenger Information Systems

System Description
• It provides both real time and timetable information
about bus services:
• at stop signs
• websites
• mobile devices
• Real time information may also be presented via
interactive terminals and plasma displays
• In general the information displayed informs the user
about the arrival times of services and any problems
with the service on the day in question
6

Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Passenger Information Systems – Multimodal Travel

Information needs can be assigned to three different

stages of a journey
• Pre-trip : the travel planning step, when the user
prepares his/her future travel (takes place at the
origin of the travel, ie. home, office, etc.)
• Wayside : wayside locations can be bus stops,
stations, ferry docks, public transport centres, park
and rides
• On-board : On-board information consists of
information provided inside a vehicle, and is always
preceded by pre-trip information and wayside
information
7

Source: Grotenhuisa, et. al. (2007), The desired quality of integrated multimodal travel information in
public transport: Customer needs for time and effort savings, Transport Policy 14 (2007) 27–38
Passenger Information Systems – Multimodal Travel

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Passenger Information Systems

Information provision stages

1. Gather up-to-date data

and keep it coming as it
changes
2. Integrate data within a
database structure that
captures the transport
infrastructure and can be
modified as places change
3. Deliver information
though multiple channels

Source: Getting the info on passenger information systems , Mac. Logistics & Transport Focus, Oct2006
Passenger Information Systems

Information delivery mechanisms

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Source: DfT - TRAFFIC ADVISORY LEAFLET ITS 7/03 - “Public Transport Information”
Passenger Information Systems

Distribution media for real-

time bus arrival information

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Source: TCRP Synthesis 48 - Real-Time Bus Arrival Information Systems - TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
Real Time Passenger Information Systems

Key Benefits
Supporting Technologies Overlapping Real-Time Information

 Improved on-time  Reduced passenger  Use of passenger

performance and wait times and better information
schedule planning service reliability also system to
 Improved incident resulting in reduced disseminate
management and safety/security risks safety and
response times  Increased customer security
satisfaction messages, and
next-bus arrival
information

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Source: USDOT : Real-time Bus Arrival Information Systems Return-on-Investment Study

Passenger Information Systems – Case Studies

CENTRO Real Time Information

• It covers approximately 40 bus routes in the West Midlands area
centred on Birmingham
• 366 buses fitted with automatic vehicle location equipment
• 208 at stop 3-line displays
• 2 large 9-line displays at a key city centre interchange, giving
details of all buses using bus stops at that location
• 14 off route large screen displays in colleges, leisure centres,
hospitals and travel shops
• 26 BT Internet kiosks providing free access to multi modal travel
information including bus real time information
• 2000 stops enabled for SMS real time text information
• Two bus fleet management systems at Birmingham Central and
Lea Hall bus garages

13

Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Passenger Information Systems – Case Studies

CENTRO User Acceptance

• Market research in April 2006, based on 1976
respondents on multiple routes:
• 47% used the system most or all of the time they
caught the bus from a stop with Real Time
Information
• 79% thought the system was always or almost always
accurate
• 84% of all respondents thought RTI was beneficial
• 64% of passengers prefer Real Time information

14

Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Passenger Information Systems – Case Studies

Example Live Bus

Times at Bus Stop

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Source: http://www.star-trak.co.uk
Passenger Information Systems – Case Studies

Exact position of uses

throughout the region via
satellite GPS in real time

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Source: Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority - http://www.capecodtransit.org/

Multimodal Trip Planning

Objectives
• Enhancing integration by providing high quality,
relevant information about a variety of possible travel
modes
• Enhancing the environment, where the information
provided informs people of suitable alternatives to
travelling by car and encourages modal shift to public
transport

17

Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Multimodal Trip Planning

Tool Description
• Multimodal Trip Planning systems are generally
internet based tools
• They can calculate the optimal route choice at
different times of day using a combination of modes of
transport
• Provide up to the minute information on different
modes of transport

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Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Multimodal Trip Planning – Case Studies

TransportDirect.info

Different Trip Options

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Source: TransportDirect.info
Multimodal Trip Planning – Case Studies

TransportDirect.info

Trip Details using Different

Transport Modes

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Source: TransportDirect.info
Multimodal Trip Planning – Case Studies

EU-Spirit – System Description

• A cross-border and Internet-based travel information service for
customers of public transport
• It is based on existing local, regional, and national travel
information systems which are interlinked via technical
interfaces
• Provides door-to-door travel information for customers who do
not only travel within one region
• The service provides the calculation of an itinerary between
stops, addresses or points of interest in different European
regions
• The information service includes any carrier of local and long-
distance public transport as well as additional services, for
instance map service and fare information
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Source: http://www.eu-spirit.com/
Multimodal Trip Planning – Case Studies

EU Spirit – Systems Architecture

22

Source: http://www.eu-spirit.com/
Multimodal Trip Planning – Case Studies

EU Spirit – Multimodal Trip Example (From: Berlin – Germany, To: Copenhagen - Denmark

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Source: http://www.eu-spirit.com/
Dedicated Lane Enforcement

Objectives
• Improving efficiency/economy by enabling dedicated vehicles
(usually public transport & emergency vehicles, but also freight
vehicles in some circumstances) to achieve shorter, more reliable
journey times through discouraging other types of vehicles from
using dedicated lanes
• Improving safety by discouraging drivers from weaving in and out
of the dedicated lane, depending on the level of traffic in each
lane, thus reducing the number of potentially dangerous
manoeuvres
• Additionally improving safety by allowing emergency vehicles to
use the (comparatively empty) bus lanes, thus shortening
response times significantly during peak times
24

Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Dedicated Lane Enforcement

System Description
• Dedicated lane (usually bus lane) enforcement
incorporates the use of cameras to deter drivers
from illegally using the dedicated lane
• These cameras are either installed by the side of the
road or on vehicles
• Roadside cameras can be either static Gatso type
cameras as used for speed enforcement or
continuously recording CCTV cameras
• Each installation contains two cameras:
• The first camera gives a wide angle shot of the
bus lane and neighbouring general lane
• The other camera focuses on the vehicle's
number plate Gatso camera
• Cameras can also be attached directly to the front of
vehicles
25

Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Public Transport Priority

Objectives
• Enhancing economy/efficiency by reducing public
transport journey times and journey time variability.
This encourages modal shift away from the car,
reducing congestion and can thus help stimulate
regeneration
• Enhancing the environment through modal shift and
associated reductions in emissions

26

Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Public Transport Priority

System Description
• Priority at traffic signals is provided when a public
transport vehicle is detected
• Three main types of public transport priority
technologies:
• Tag based systems
• Loop based systems
• Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) based systems

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Public Transport Priority - Tag based systems RFID

 roadside or in-road detectors are placed on the

approaches to those junctions where priority is to
be given
 Each vehicle to be given priority is fitted with a
transponder, which is recognised by the detectors
 The detectors are linked to the traffic signal
controller
 The traffic signal controller can then either provide
priority directly, or relay an instruction to a traffic
signal control system
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Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Public Transport Priority – Loop based systems

 Induction loops are installed under the road on the

approach to the junction
 An algorithm embedded within the traffic signal
controller can identify the type of vehicle that is
crossing the loop by its magnetic profile
 The traffic signal controller can then either provide
priority directly, or relay an instruction to a traffic
signal control system

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Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Public Transport Priority – AVL

 Priority vehicles are fitted with Automatic Vehicle

Location (AVL) equipment
 A central processing system monitors the location
of each vehicle at any given moment
 Vehicle details are compared to the vehicle's
running board to identify whether the vehicle is on
time or running late
 Vehicles that are running late can be automatically
awarded priority whenever they approach a priority
junction
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Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Public Transport Priority – Case Study (London)

System
Architecture

31

Source: Transport For London- http://www.tfl.gov.uk

Public Transport Payment Systems

Objectives
• Enhancing economy/efficiency by reducing boarding
times thus improving journey times
• Enhancing economy/efficiency by stimulating
regeneration through the encouragement of
sustainable transport
• Enhancing integration through links to other
Government policies, most notably e-Government
initiatives

32

Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Public Transport Payment Systems

Description of conventional payment

• Public transport trips require the user to hold a ticket or travel
pass to travel
• A proportion of these tickets and passes need to be checked to
ensure payment has been made
• Tickets can be purchased either prior to, or on boarding the
Public Transport
• The drawbacks associated with paper based ticketing include:
• relatively slow boarding times to 'pay on entry' public
transport vehicles
• higher levels of fraud as invalid tickets and passes can be
hard to spot by eye
33

Source: DfT – ITS Tool Directory - http://www.dft.gov.uk/itstoolkit

Public Transport Payment Systems

Smart Card enabled payment systems

• Prior to or on boarding a public transport vehicle, the
passenger must pass the smartcard close to a
smartcard reader
• This automatically debits a cash payment, if
appropriate, and records the journey
• A central back office system keeps account records of
transactions made using the smartcards, and credits
to the accounts
• Point of Sales terminals can be used to re-credit cards
along with alternative payment approaches
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Public Transport Payment Systems – Case Study

 Electronic Ticketing in Bremen

• Tickets can be bought with the smart card at
terminals inside the vehicles or at ticket sales
terminals
• The smart card works on the basis of the Geldkarte
(electronic purse)
• Instead of a paper ticket, an electronic ticket is stored
in a specially reserved slot on the card’s chip
• The customer or ticket inspector can then detect it
with the corresponding reading device

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Source: INTERCEPT Project - http://www.btsa.es/intercept

Public Transport Payment Systems – Case Study

Electronic ticket on
board tram and at
station
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Source: INTERCEPT Project - http://www.btsa.es/intercept