Category: Uncategorized

  • Why Universities Are Upgrading from legacy solutions to ETA Transit’s CAD/AVL System 

    Modern Campus Transit Need Innovative Transit Solutions Universities face unique pressures: student and faculty ridership satisfaction, limited budgets, and the need for accurate data to secure funding. Outdated systems, consumer-grade tablets, and unreliable reporting only make things worse.  That’s why Indiana University and University of Delaware made the switch to ETA Transit’s CAD/AVL platform, SPOT. …

  • How CAD/AVL Technology Is Powering the Future of Transit Operations

    Ruggedized, transit-grade CAD/AVL paves the way Computer-Aided Dispatch Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) is the backbone of modern transit management.  The solution provides the tools to deliver safer, more reliable, and more efficient service. It powers digital tools to assign and manage vehicles, replacing traditional radio-based dispatch with a data-driven future-facing solution. CAD/AVL provides centralized control,…

  • EV vs. Hydrogen Buses: How U.S. Public Transit Agencies Are Navigating the Zero-Emission Transition

    As American cities race toward cleaner, greener transportation, public transit agencies are at the forefront of adopting zero-emission buses. The two leading technologies-battery-electric (EV) and hydrogen fuel cell buses-each offer unique benefits and challenges. Drawing on robust data from the U.S. Department of Energy, agency case studies, and international trends, this post explores how agencies…

  • How Long Does It Take to Deploy a New CAD/AVL System?

    In the past, deploying a new Computer-Aided Dispatch/Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) system could take many months or even years. Today, however, modern technologies and advanced implementation techniques have dramatically shortened deployment times, allowing for faster and more efficient system installations. Why Fleet Size and System Features Affect the Timeline While fleet size, existing GTFS data…

  • Automating the Repetitive: The Story Behind Tally

    Tally was inspired by my experience as a transit planner at LeeTran in Fort Myers, Florida. A year in as a transit planner, I was tasked with overseeing the average passenger trip length surveys for the fiscal year 2016-2017. At that time, LeeTran’s Automatic Passenger Counters (APCs) were not certified for National Transit Database (NTD)…

  • Unveiling the Truth: Why You Need ALL Customer References in Your CAD/AVL RFP

    Customer references can make or break a transit agency’s choice for a Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system. These complex systems influence everything from service efficiency to rider satisfaction. Sifting through stacks of Request for Proposal (RFP) documents can be daunting, and agencies often think a handful of references will suffice. This…

  • Understanding the Federal Transit Administration’s 2025 Requirement: Certifying Automated Passenger Counters

    As the public transit industry continues to evolve, so do the regulatory requirements designed to ensure that transit agencies provide accurate and reliable data. One such development is the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) mandate for Automated Passenger Counters (APCs) certification by report year 2025. This change is poised to have a significant impact on how…

  • Tale of Two Surveys: Understanding APC Certification and APTL Survey Part 1

    Healthy public transportation services rely on sound data collection to secure the maximum funding from the federal government. Automatic Passenger Counter (APC) certification and Average Passenger Trip Length (APTL) survey are two distinct, yet related, processes that agencies employ to ensure they are accurately reporting the unlinked passenger trips (UPT) and passenger miles traveled (PMT)…

  • The Rise of Data-Driven Decision Making: How Automated Passenger Counting Transforms Transit Planning

    Public transportation agencies face a constant challenge: optimizing service provision to meet the evolving needs of ridership. Traditionally, planning decisions relied on estimates and historical trends. However, the emergence of Automated Passenger Counting (APC) technology has ushered in a new era of data-driven decision making. Unlocking the Power of Precise Ridership Data APC systems leverage…