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Real time passenger information
Auckland City is working with the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA)
and the city's bus operators to install technology that will improve
passenger transport and ultimately get more people catching buses.
Real time passenger
information is the electronic information displayed at some Auckland
city bus stops.
Signal pre-emption is a GPS-based technology that
enables buses to communicate their position to the city's traffic signals
system.
These technologies are a vital
part of the council's package of sustainable transport solutions, which aims
to make bus travel a better, more attractive travel choice for people.
Since introducing the system in
2003, Auckland City has fitted more than 730 buses with GPS, installed over
180 on-street passenger information displays, and equipped 174 intersections
for signal pre-emption.
Auckland City signed over management of the system to the Auckland Regional
Transport Authority (ARTA) in June 2006. This is so the system can be
rolled out across the region, enhancing its contribution to the region's
transport goals.
How it works
Buses are installed with
on-board Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment to detect their position on
the bus route.
At the beginning of each trip, the
bus driver enters the route number and departure time into the on-bus ticketing
machine. As the bus travels along its route, predicted arrival times are
communicated to the electronic display signs at bus stops. This information is
relayed as the bus passes set points along the route, using information from the
GPS system.
The Link buses also announce
next-stop information through on-board speakers and signs. The driver can
control the volume, and the audio includes tourist information on nearby places
of interest.
If a bus approaches an intersection
fitted with signal pre-emption, the system can request traffic signal priority
for the bus:
- if the signals are green but about to turn red, the green phase can be extended by
up to 10 seconds
- if the signals are red, the green phase can be brought forward by 10 seconds.
The system is also used to monitor passenger transport
services for use by Auckland City, ARTA and the bus companies.
What are the benefits?
Giving people more, sustainable and
attractive travel choices is the key to unlocking Aucklanders' dependence on
private vehicles.
Real time passenger information and
signal pre-emption is an essential part of making bus travel better by:
- reducing bus journey times
- improving reliability of bus services
- providing better passenger information by removing the
uncertainties of bus arrival times
- giving operators and planners better information.
Research undertaken indicates a
saving to passengers of approximately 11 seconds per intersection, or in the
case of The Link service, about eight minutes per circuit (the average Link
circuit takes an hour).
Creating a regional system
Auckland City's involvement
was the first step towards a regional system, and stemmed principally from
legislation which prevented the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) from owning
transport infrastructure. The ARC, other local authorities and passenger
transport operators have also been heavily involved in the development of the
system and its implementation.
The creation of ARTA in 2004
as a subsidiary of the ARC means that ARTA is now the best placed transport
agency to operate and roll-out the system. Negotiations started in 2005 to
transfer the system to ARTA.
The ARC approved the
transfer to ARTA in May 2006. Auckland City looks forward to the region's
traffic signals benefiting from signal pre-emption soon, and to the regional
roll-out of real time information signs, starting with North Shore City.
Information at bus stops
Answers to some common questions about bus information displayed at bus stops
via the electronic signs:
- Bus due times
"DUE" means the bus is expected to arrive within the next two minutes.
On a small number of The Link bus services, drivers may be instructed by
Stagecoach to take shortcuts. This occurs when, due to traffic conditions
and other factors, there is bunching of buses (when 2 or more buses end up
travelling together). By taking shortcuts, The Link system can best maintain
the regularity of the service however it can sometimes mean that a bus arrival time
may suddenly disappear from a sign for no apparent reason.
- Placement of signs
Auckland City, in consultation with Stagecoach, determined the locations for
the first batch of signs based on passenger numbers at the stops and
proximity to major destinations. The focus for future signs will be on main
shopping centres and rail/bus interchange locations.
- Yellow button
By pressing the yellow button at electronic bus stop signs, you will trigger
the audio system that has been installed to assist sight impaired passengers
waiting for their buses. The volume has been set at similar levels for all
stops, but can be adjusted to suit particular conditions or noisier
locations. If the audio volume at particular bus stops seems too high or too
low, let
us know.
- Victoria Park bus stop signs
This bus stop is where most drivers begin the route, and enter trip
information into the system. This means that no information is available
until they have begun the route, and that only limited information is
available to the next few stops along the route. The use of these signs will
increase when the system is rolled out to other bus services using Victoria
St and College Hill.
- Sign not working
If you see a sign (either on the bus or at a bus stop) that isn't working,
please let
us know.
Background
Introducing real-time passenger information and the signal
pre-emption technologies was managed by Auckland City, along with involvement
from the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) and local bus companies.
The first stage of the project went live in August 2003.
It installed the technology on all buses on The Link route after an initial
trial period. The Link bus route was chosen as it is recognised as it presented
a particularly challenging set of circumstances with which to test the system,
including:
- operating in some of the most congested parts of Auckland city's road
network
- having "urban canyons" particularly in Queen St, where because of tall
buildings on either side of the road GPS is unreliable
- the loop nature of the route, and in Newmarket the presence of a loop
within a loop, has increased the complexity of the system design
- practices to enhance system reliability in the past, such as buses
short-cutting their route to improve timetable reliability, and the use of
timing points spread around the route.
Tests and monitoring took place
through to the end of March 2004 with the system consistently meeting
availability targets. As the database of past trips increased, so did system
accuracy.
Stages two and three saw the council
installing and testing passenger information displays on Auckland's radial
arterial routes, and equipping the remainder of the bus fleet with GPS
equipment.
By the end of 2005, 737 buses had
been fitted with GPS equipment, 204 on-street passenger information displays
installed, and 174 intersections equipped for signal pre-emption. In addition,
The Link buses have also been equipped with on-board passenger information
displays that let passengers know details of the next stop and associated
tourist information.
The first non-Link bus routes to
have on-street passenger information displays installed were Dominion,
Sandringham, Mt Eden and New North roads.
The total contract cost was $6.9m
over the three stage implementation period, with funding assistance for the
project provided by grants of $3.23m from Land Transport New Zealand (formerly
Transfund) and $3.14m from Infrastructure Auckland. The balance has been funded
through Auckland City's bus priority budget.
Operating costs are jointly funded
by Auckland City, ARTA and the bus operators. As the system is rolled-out to
other parts of the region, it is anticipated that the other city and district
councils will contribute to the cost of running the system.
Updated October 2007
