APTA Expo Product Review

Trapeze Keeps “IT” Real

At Trapeze Group, they were “Keeping it Real,” using real-life stories from customers about providing real-time information to passengers. A live social media wall shared stories from attendees as well as customers who were unable to make it to the show.

“Obviously that’s our play on words with ‘it’ and ‘IT,’” said Trapeze Group President John Hines.

One of the IT solutions the company featured at Expo is Trapeze Community Connect. “It’s almost like Expedia for transit,” said Meaghan Wilkinson, director of marketing. “It shows different routes in different counties and allows multiple agencies to come together and pool their resources.”

Added Hines: “It’s in everyone’s interest to share information.”

Hines stressed that the solutions Trapeze offers can stand on their own, but a combination of solutions can add great value. In addition, they can be integrated with an agency’s existing systems.

Nova Bus’ electric bus prototype aims to reduce energy consumption, emissions

Nova Bus revealed several new transit bus technologies and innovative solutions at APTA Expo. The highlight was its new fully electric transit bus prototype.

Electro Mobility is a core focus for Nova Bus. Along with continuously improving the efficiency of current systems, the company is exploring leading-edge technologies with North American partners and leveraging synergies from throughout the Volvo Group to provide fuel savings. The Nova Bus team was proud to unveil its promising fully electric prototype bus and Electro Mobility solutions.

“We want to be ready. We want to lead the industry to cleaner fuels. That is why the electric bus is here,” explained Nova Bus Vice President of Business Development Jean-Pierre Baracat, P.E. “Our objective is to have something commercially viable in the next few years. We really want to industrialize this; it’s not going to be a flavour of the day type of project.”

Nova Bus plans to have a handful of the electric buses in 2012 to use for field testing. “It will help us work out the bugs of a new technology,” Baracat said. “We want to make sure it is controllable.”

“We’re really making our customers part of our R&D team,” added Nadine Bernard, marketing director.

In addition to the electric bus prototype, attendees were also among the first to discover Nova Bus’ new transit bus interior. Behind its bright, modern look, the new interior integrates innovative solutions designed to significantly enhance the passenger environment and streamline bus maintenance.

Apollo Video Technology Fleet-Wide Vim Software

Apollo Video Technology showcased its Vehicle Information Management (ViM) software for mobile video surveillance systems. The DVR Health Module provides automatic fleet-wide health monitoring and diagnostics of on-board video equipment, which, as a result of automated, wireless diagnostic reports, has reduced maintenance and operating costs for many transit agencies. A newly released driver behavior-management tool provides reviewers of the video clips with a specific field in which they have the ability to include notes annotating driver actions and behavior designed to increase safety, provide feedback to drivers and help to promote a more positive rider experience.

“In the last several years, transit operations nationwide have converted to high-performance mobile video surveillance systems due to the increased need for public safety and reliable video evidence,” said Rodell Notbohm, general manager of Apollo Video Technology.

Bombardier introduces flexity freedom family

Bombardier Transportation showcased four of its recent innovations in the field of mobility: the Bombardier Flexity Freedom, a light rail vehicle; the Bombardier PrimoveCity e-mobility solution; the Bombardier Innovia 300 family of driverless turnkey systems; and the Bombardier ALP-45DP locomotive.