Metro - File #: 2017-0873

• File #: 2017-0873
• Type: Informational Report
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 12/29/2017
• In control: Ad Hoc Customer Experience Committee
• On agenda: 1/18/2018
• Title: RECEIVE AND FILE status report on Metro's bus and rail arrival countdown clocks.
• Sponsors: Finance, Budget and Audit Committee
• Indexes: Accuracy, Central Los Angeles subregion, City of Los Angeles, Contractors, Customer service, Digital displays, Global Positioning System, Information systems, Informational Report, Maps, Retrofitting, Rolling stock, San Fernando Valley subregion, South Bay Cities subregion, Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition, Track circuits, Transit Passenger Information System, Westside Cities subregion

Meeting_Body
AD-HOC CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JANUARY 18, 2018

Subject
SUBJECT: DIGITAL COUNTDOWN DISPLAYS AND REAL-TIME
ACCURACY IMPROVEMENT STATUS UPDATE

Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE

Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title

RECEIVE AND FILE status report on Metro's bus and rail arrival countdown clocks.

Issue
ISSUE

Metro's bus stops and rail stations equipped with arrival/departure countdown clocks allow us to provide our customers additional transit customer service that enhances overall customer experience in terms of service and information.

Discussion
DISCUSSION

Metro uses the NextBus system to provide bus and rail arrival/departure information to customers via the internet, smartphone, or electronic signage placed at high volume passenger boarding bus stops and rail stations across Los Angeles County. There are currently two algorithm predictions in use by NextBus: one for Bus and one for Rail. Nextbus is the current contractor which provides real-time predictions used by Metro on nearly 900 transit passenger information system (TPIS) monitors for Rail and 100 for Bus.

The bus arrival information system uses a data feed supplied by Metro that is created using global positioning satellite (GPS) from buses. As NextBus was the first company to provide real-time bus predictions, this process is mature and generally accurate. Accuracy is based on a polling rate of 3 minutes. The cellular Wi-Fi equipped buses poll every 5 seconds for improved accuracy. The Wi-Fi equipment is currently being installed on the existing fleet at the rate of 400 per year, and new electric and zero emission buses will have the equipment installed upon delivery.

The rail arrival information system uses a data feed supplied by Metro which is created using location information from the rail supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system that relies on track circuits per block data information as opposed to continuous GPS readings. Metro IT has been working with...