ITS Evaluation and Specifications-Schedule Adherence Monitoring, passenger counting, seamless travel system, bus driver monitoring

ITS Evaluation and Specifications

CLIENTS' NEEDS
There is a tendency to think of ITS as the use of advanced hardware technology to improve transportation systems. However, the reality is that our cities need all the tools at our disposal to solve our transportation problems. Maybe if we can use all available tools, including high and low tech hardware and software, etc. and we can use these tools intelligently, this might be a more appropriate way to address our clients’ needs. In this way we can truly claim that we are using Intelligent Transportation Systems.

CLIENTS' ISSUES
We believe that the critical issues facing most cities with regard to ITS are:

Intelligent choice of software/hardware with concern for life cycle staging and costing.
Integration of high and low tech solutions that meet our client's needs and budgets.
Implementing systems that staff can actually use and maintain on an ongoing basis.
Recognizing the unique needs, concerns, constraints and opportunities facing each agency - in other words not trying to shoehorn an advanced technology program into existing operations simply because it can be funded.

ECHELON’S SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND APPROACH
Although Echelon staff have designed and implemented ITS solution for traffic agencies, including computerized traffic signal systems, traffic simulation programs, and bus priority systems, we are attempting to focus on ITS for public transit. In this arena we have designed, developed, and implemented and tested - in revenue operation, integrated systems for RF based smart cards, automated passenger counting, automated transfer printing and scanning, automated bus stop announcements (with signs and speech) automated data upload and download with local area radios, automates vehicle location with GPS/odometers, vehicle mechanical monitoring, acceleration/deceleration monitoring and the potential for traffic signal control for bus priority. These are not just systems that we have written about - these were in actual revenue service. We understand how to make technology work in a 5-bus environment or a 3000-bus environment.

ECHELON’S ROLE
Although Echelon has considerable strengths in designing, building and implementing ITS systems we would prefer to leave this to manufacturers. We can assist any transit agency in identifying the ITS technology that can best address their operating needs and practices, build functional specs for such systems and work with the agencies to select vendors, assist in implementation and contribute to on-going system monitoring and management program.

In other words, we can help you to make your ITS solutions workable and useful on an ongoing basis.

back to home page