Category: Commentary

  • E-paper displays are ready for prime-time transit

    New sign technology is poised to remake transit stop communication By Matt Schroeder Director of Marketing, ETA Transit Systems Join me for a brief trip down memory lane. From 2006-2009, I served as the Creative Director for a group of 13 regional newspapers spanning the Front Range of Colorado. My tenure at the paper marked…

  • The screen generation will transform transit tech.

    What’s also not a secret is that Millennials (and their younger Gen Z counterparts) are among the fastest-growing adopters of transit and the first generation not to view vehicle ownership as a status symbol. However, like car ownership is driven by the latest bells and whistles, public transit will be pushed by these younger generations…

  • Are your RFPs getting you the responses you want?

    The RFP creation and evaluation process can be troublesome, but if a logical approach and sound strategies inform the type of responses you seek, then it need not be such a cumbersome effort.

  • A cash-free future begs you to take my money.

    Versatile payment collection capabilities simplify payment and meets the preference of the rider. While regular transit riders will likely stick to a single form of payment for their transit fares, periodic or impromptu riders will require flexibility in their fare transactions.

  • E-paper displays are ready for prime-time transit

    The e-paper solution has emerged in the transit space as a happy medium between the old-school LED signs and the colorful, yet expensive HD LCD screens.

  • It’s time to bury your printed schedules six feet deep.

    Display and mobile technologies have rendered the printed schedule obsolete. By Matt SchroederDirector of Marketing, ETA Transit Systems The printed schedule must die. There, I said it and if feels amazing. And if you’re sitting there with your mouth agape wondering how I could blaspheme such a longtime staple of public transit; I don’t blame…

  • Next-generation route management expands options for efficiency.

    By Matt Schroeder Director of Marketing, ETA Transit Systems As a marketer, I’m constantly exposed to new and interesting facts. Did you know that a transit agency on average spends between two and six months researching new routes? Or how about this one: 44 percent of dispatchers spend at least 30 minutes inputting route changes…

  • Staff Engagement: Turn staff doubters into doers

    Staff engagement is a critical, yet often overlooked component to new system adoption. As advanced and capable as the current generation of intelligent transit technology is, its performance will always be hampered by incorrect or inconsistent use. For all the time and resources spent in securing these solutions, it’s important to also invest in those…

  • Vendor selection: Find that forever friend.

    The bond between agency and ITS vendor should last long after the sale. By Matt Schroeder Director of Marketing, ETA Transit Systems What makes for a good partnership when it comes to vendor selection? I mean, you’re spending hundreds of thousands—maybe millions—of dollars on a new intelligent transit system. You have sales reps from at…