California Public Transit – Challenges and ITS Solutions ITS America Annual Meeting & Expo R ay Tellis, FTA Monday, June 4, 2007 Palm Springs, CA

2 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit We learned about California from Session 9:  Largest population: 37M or 12% of US pop.  Twice national average population growth  8 th largest economy in the world  Highly varied topography and climate  Four seasons: Earthquakes, Fires, Mudslides and Smog

3 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Trip Planner  Transportation Challenges  Transit Challenges  US DOT Initiatives  ITS solutions  Transit & Paratransit ITS applications  Federal Role  Conclusion

4 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Transportation Challenges  Population  Economy  Congestion – “Stuck in traffic”  Air pollution  Goods movement

5 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Transit Challenges Improve mobility and increase ridership  Improve travel speeds  Improve reliability  Enhance safety and security  Enhance comfort  Close gaps  Lower costs

6 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Urban Partnership Agreement – May 2006 Pursue four strategies to reduce congestion  Tolling – congestion pricing, variable toll  Transit – create/expand express bus service, BRT, innovative commuter transit services  Telecommuting – employer agreements to establish/expand opportunities  Technology – cutting edge technology to improve transportation system performance

7 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Urban Partnership Eligible Applicants  Located within Metropolitan Statistical Area – US Census Bureau – 36 areas  Travel-time index >1.25  Annual congestion cost > $600  Daily congestion delay > 7 hours  Los Angeles (2), SF/Oakland (8), San Diego (15), San Jose (23), Riverside/SB (24), Sacramento (26), Oxnard/Ventura (65) (#) – Population Rank

8 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit ITS has applications in all ‘Four Ts’ Provides relatively low cost transit solutions  Signal Priority  Contactless fare collection – Tap, Smart cards  Real-time travel information – Next bus info  Advanced travel information systems  Automatic vehicle locator systems (AVLS)  Precision docking and other applications

9 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit FTA Small Starts & Very Small Starts Programs Small Starts - $75M federal, $250M total, Very Small Starts - $40M federal, $50M total  Signal Priority / Pre-emption  Low Floor vehicles  Special Branding  Frequent service – 10 min peak/15 min off peak  Transit stations

10 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Transit & Paratransit projects  Los Angeles County Operators - UFS  Los Angeles Metro – ATMS, TPS, BSP  San Francisco MTC – Transit Info. system  San Francisco MUNI – NextBus  Foothill Transit – SmartBus  Long Beach Transit – TransSmart  Samtrans – Collision Warning System  Access Services – Uniform Scheduling System

11 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Universal Fare System (UFS)  Regional integrated fare collection system  LA Metro, 11 transit operators, Metrolink  Electronic, automated, contactless fare cards  Rail and bus ticket vending machines  Hand-held validators  Separate regional customer service center  Financial Clearinghouse

12 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Universal Fare System (continued)  Used technical oversight consultants  Sub-contractor for fareboxes  Budget - $175M over 9 years  Only bus automated system in the country w/non-transit applications (parking, building access)

13 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus System Real-time fleet management system  Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL)  Transit Radio System – data, voice, VAN  Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)  Automatic Passenger Counter (APC)  Automatic Voice Annunciation (AVA)  Vehicle Surveillance System (VSS)

14 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus System (continued)  Vehicle Health Monitoring (VHM)  Bus Signal Priority (BSP)  Traveler Information System (TIS)  RIITS (bus tracking) Interface  Universal Fare System Interface  On-board informational signs  Web based applications

15 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus System (continued)  Used technical oversight consultants  Sub-contractors/vendors for components  Budget - $2M to $80M  Becoming mainstream, part of vehicle procurements  Being implemented by most large transit operators, demonstrated by increased applications for AVLS

16 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus System Benefits  Fleet reduction – reduce fleet size  Improved travel time – service quality, reliability  Schedule adherence, avoid bunching – increased operational efficiency/effectiveness  Enhanced safety and security – continuous monitoring, incident response, less time at stops  Mechanical & diagnostic information – reduced labor, enhanced emergency vehicle dispatch

17 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus System Benefits (continued)  Increased ridership – route deviation and real- time schedule information  Increased market share – information for modal choices, linked to customer service systems, kiosks, Web  Worthwhile investment – reduced operating expenses. Savings from $40K to $2M annually

18 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus Lessons Learned  Secure and test data radio channel to work with AVLS for coverage & interference tests  Work with surrounding agencies for concurrence to get FCC license  Include everybody – maintenance, IT staff, radio communications, planning, police, transit security  Audit schedules and paddles for accuracy

19 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Smart Bus Lessons Learned (continued) Develop procedure for schedule changes, detours, etc. – need coordinated effort between operations, planning and system administration Develop custody procedure for security data – how will public request for data be handled Have maintenance staff present during installation – consistency makes troubleshooting easier

20 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Regional Real-Time Transit Information System  Data exchange standard for real-time predicitions – all Bay Area transit operators  Disseminate information via phone – 511  Disseminate information via Web – 511.org  Disseminate information via electronic signs  Signs will include multiple operator predictions  Rollout MUNI & BART – Summer 2007

21 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Uniform Scheduling System Customer focused paratransit applications  Trip Bookings/Reservations  Scheduling/Routing  Dispatch  Monitoring/Record keeping  Safety & Security

22 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Federal Role - FTA Increased grant awards requires increased oversight/monitoring  Ensure ITS Policy requirements are met – project included in Regional Architecture and System Engineering requirements followed  ITS Reviews based on risk assessments  Increased training for staff and reviewers  Resources available to grantees/project sponsors

23 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit Conclusion California is a national leader in implementing traffic and transit ITS applications and is successfully addressing its transportation challenges with ITS solutions. A brighter picture ahead!

24 California ITS – Transit & Paratransit For further information: Ray Tellis Team Leader US DOT, FTA/FHWA Los Angeles Metro Office 888 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1850 Los Angeles, CA Phone: