June Issue Industry Update

ITS and Customer Communication
GO Transit, a division of Metrolinx, has chosen Init to deploy a new fleet management system for 242 GO Buses, 47 GO Rail cars and 50 non-revenue vehicles. GO is the regional public transit service for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and carries 61 million passengers a year.
The contract calls for an advanced ITS solution which includes an intermodal CAD/AVL system, on-board mobile data terminals, automatic passenger counting technology, next-stop announcements, in-vehicle variable message signs, real-time vehicle diagnostics and interfaces to existing destination signs, bike rack sensors and wheelchair lift sensors.
Incorporated into the new contract is the feed of real-time bus information to Metrolinx’ online customer information service and their new interactive voice response system. The new system will gather bus and rail real-time locations and predict arrival times for the dissemination of service alerts to travelers and other regional transit agencies.
As part of the second phase of the project, vehicle logic units, mobile data terminals, cellular data communications and audio annunciators will be installed on one coach per train. The vehicle logic unit will integrate with future in-vehicle variable message signs, as well as an on-board security camera system that will be installed in the future. The audio annunciators will be integrated with GO’s existing public address system on all rail coaches to provide automated next rail station announcements in every coach of the train.

Transit’s Past in Photos
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced the completion of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire Photographic collection featured in its online photo archive, its Flickr page at www.historypin.com. Drawing from its vast photographic collection, the SFMTA has selected images to share on the web, including all of its images of the 1906 earthquake and fire. There will also be a separate collection of post-earthquake restoration images, featuring some that are not known to have been published before.
The archive of nearly 30,000 images amassed by the SFMTA includes historical and modern collections with images from the late 19th century through the present. The archive not only has Municipal Railway photographs, but also those from privately owned transit systems that once operated in the city, the United Railroads of San Francisco and its successor, the Market Street Railway.
These images document life on the San Francisco’s streets as well as the growth and evolution of transit on those streets.
Historypin allows viewers of this collection to see the images in the context of a Google Map, and to view some in Street View with the historic image situated over the contemporary street scene. The interactive nature of Historypin encourages the addition of images to the site as well as the sharing of stories that are specific to those images and places.
“As Muni reflects on 100 years of service, it is important to also reflect on the history of San Francisco. As Muni grew, so did San Francisco; you can see that story told in the photographs made available within these galleries.” SFMTA Director of Transportation Edward D. Reiskin

Keeping Rail Workers Safe
Bombardier Transportation has teamed up with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in a demonstration project to enhance the safety of rail transit workers at the track side.
The project was approved by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) following a request for proposals specifically aimed at improving right-of-way safety for rail transit workers, through innovative use of new and advanced technologies. With this project, the FTA aims to mitigate the risks of accidents for passengers and transit system workers in the United States.
The Bombardier/MARTA demonstration project was chosen among eight proposals submitted to the FTA. The project utilizes Bombardier’s TrackSafe technology. It creates improved location awareness for track workers and train operators through the use of Radio Frequency Identification and other advanced technologies.
“Bombardier’s TrackSafe solution reduces the hazards associated with track-level inspections and maintenance. We are glad that the FTA has approved our project and are honored that MARTA has agreed to partner with Bombardier. Like us, they are strongly committed to the safety of track workers. We look forward demonstrating the advantages of our cutting-edge TrackSafe technology,” said Vice President, Services Business Unit for Bombardier Transportation North America Matt Byrne.
MARTA Assistant General Manager for Safety and Quality Assurance Georgetta Gregory said, “MARTA ranks employee and customer safety as a top priority for our system and we continually seek new technological advances to achieve that goal. We are pleased and proud to be working with Bombardier on this critically important initiative.”