Advanced Public Transportation Systems: The State of the Art [1991]

Casey, Robert F.; Labell, Lawrence N.; Prensky, Simon P.; Schweiger, Carol L. · 1991 · ROSA P / United States. Joint Program Office for Intelligent Transportation Systems

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Summary

This 1991 report, produced by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA), documents the state of the art in Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS). The study was motivated by the rapid advancement of low-cost microelectronics and the need to identify successful applications of advanced navigation, information, and communication technologies to encourage their widespread adoption. The primary objective was to increase industry knowledge of these innovations to improve public transportation services, thereby attracting more riders and reducing traffic congestion, pollution, and energy consumption. The methodology involved a limited investigation of advanced technology adoption in North American public transportation services. Rather than an exhaustive survey, the report focused on innovative or comprehensive implementations categorized under four APTS program elements: Market Development, Customer Interface, Vehicle Operations and Communications, and High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Facility Operations. The authors reviewed existing systems, pilot projects, and planned demonstrations across various transit agencies, supplementing North American data with foreign examples where local applications were scarce. Key findings reveal varying levels of technological maturity across categories. In Market Development, telephone-based pre-trip information systems were common, while real-time rideshare matching and multimodal trip reservation systems remained largely conceptual or in early demonstration phases, such as the proposed Smart Commuter Project in Houston. Integrated fare media, including magnetic stripe cards and Smart Cards, were being tested in systems like Chicago’s Payment and Control Information System and the San Francisco Bay Area’s TransLink. For Customer Interface, in-terminal information displays using real-time Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) data were emerging in cities like Tampa and Halifax, though in-vehicle information systems were rare in North America compared to Europe. Vehicle Operations saw extensive testing of AVL systems using signposts, odometers, and LORAN-C, with agencies in Norfolk, San Antonio, and Baltimore implementing these for fleet monitoring and dispatching. Automated demand-responsive dispatching was operational in several U.S. cities, though fully integrated real-time operations software was absent in North America. In HOV Facility Operations, automatic toll collection was the most widely adopted technology, with significant deployments on bridges in New York and New Orleans. Signal pre-emption and HOV lane access control were limited to few tests, while automatically guided transit buses had no North American implementations, though mechanical and electronic guidance systems were operational in Europe and Australia. The report concludes that while advanced technologies offer significant potential for enhancing transit efficiency and rider convenience, adoption in North America in 1991 was fragmented and often in early stages. The findings highlight a gap between available technology and widespread implementation, particularly in integrated systems and real-time data sharing. By documenting these successes and limitations, the report aims to guide future research and development within the APTS program, fostering the transition from isolated pilots to comprehensive, industry-wide adoption of intelligent transportation systems.

Key finding

Advanced public transportation technologies were in various stages of implementation in North America in 1991, with automatic vehicle location and electronic fare media showing adoption while real-time rideshare matching and multimodal trip reservation systems were not yet available.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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