Applications of Technology in Providing Transit Information

Abstract

A number of efforts to electronically disseminate transit information are described and compared, leading up to a detailed analysis of one volunteer project to place transit information for the San Francisco Bay Area on the Internet. This service provides route, schedule, and fare information for a dozen transit operators. The system is used by more than 600 people daily, a number that is growing steadily. The results of a user survey are discussed, revealing that a large number of the system's users are regular transit users. Many are browsing instead of searching for specific information, and a smaller number use the system to check schedules for transit routes they use every day. The emergence of the Internet as a global standard gives transit operators a new opportunity to provide detailed information directly to their patrons at low cost and around the clock.