Novax Industries (Novax) announces that its pilot project with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure demonstrating the use of real-time dynamic passenger information for transit users is operational at the southbound Highway 99 and Steveston Highway bus stop in Richmond, B.C.

This innovative display delivers up-to-the-minute southbound bus arrival information for bus riders at the bus stop.

Novax developed special software that links buses leaving the Bridgeport Canada Line station with an outdoor LCD display located over five miles away at the Highway 99 and Steveston Highway bus stop. Moving buses constantly report their position and speed through an IP broadband wireless mesh network to a computer within the display itself. The computer calculates a continuously updated estimated time to arrival based on the position and speed of approaching buses. Time to arrival and the exact location of each bus is displayed on a map in real-time. Novax’s InfoPOD approach is unique as transit information displays typically reflect the schedule only. InfoPOD utilizes real time dynamic information based on each bus’s location and progress through traffic to accurately predict bus arrival times.

Should a bus be delayed as a result of traffic congestion, accidents or other unpredictable events, the time to arrival increases to reflect what’s happening in real time. To make the time to arrival information more relevant, InfoPOD takes information management once step further by displaying the location and movement of approaching buses on a highly visible intuitive map.

Future development should make it possible for passengers with smart phones to access the information displayed at each InfoPOD equipped stop through special smart phone apps. In addition the InfoPOD system will be able to deliver unique messages and information to passengers at a specific stop as well as general public information such as Amber Alerts.

For this pilot project Novax, in concert with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure extended the IP broadband wireless mesh network that was installed by Novax for transit signal priority (TSP) around Bridgeport Station, south along Highway 99 to Steveston Highway. Novax also installed the specially programmed outdoor LCD display at the stop. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is working with TransLink and Coast Mountain Bus Company to gauge interest and acceptance.

For the Bridgeport Station project an IP broadband wireless mesh network connects buses to traffic signal controllers. As buses leave the Highway 99 they send a request to traffic signal controllers to keep the traffic signal green as long as possible to enable buses to reach Bridgeport Station with minimal delay. A similar process is repeated as buses leaving Bridgeport Station send requests to traffic signal controllers to keep the traffic signal green on their way to Highway 99.

Novax’s TransPOD system does this with minimal impact on other traffic. In addition to the Bridgeport Station project, Novax installed TransPOD with an IP broadband wireless mesh network to improve the on-time performance of nearly 80 public transit buses along busy Main Street.

Point to point RapidBus BC bus service is a core component of The Provincial Transit Plan. Nine corridors are designated for RapidBus BC in the plan. RapidBus BC will integrate with rapid transit networks or form the core transit service in some communities. Accurate real time passenger information is an important service element of the RapidBus BC plan.