Post on 27-Dec-2015
A Brief Overview
• The Problem• Our Solution• Evaluation Plan
• Four Phases
o Staffingo Costs
• What is being provided and what is not• Risks and their mitigation• Funding/Budget
• Conclusion
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Overarching Problem
Passenger needs are not addressed by mass
transportation systems.
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The Wait
Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) routes can have passengers wait anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour in suburban areas such as Chesapeake or Virginia Beach.
Source: http://www.gohrt.com/faresandinformation/busroutes/busroutes.html
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Inclement Weather & The Chase
On average there is precipitation 115 days a year in Virginia.
Source: http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/html/wx/climate/daysrain.html
Passengers not waiting in the designated bus stop areas are often overlooked by the bus driver.
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Heavy Passenger Loads & Bus Bunching
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In July, there are currently at least 55 festival events in Norfolk.
Source: http://www.festeventsva.org/calendar/current-events/
Routes like the Net in Norfolk and the Wave in Virginia Beach have buses running as close as 6 minutes apart.
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Missing the Bus
Causes:• Bus is Off Schedule• Passenger Late Arrival to Stop• Unaware of Real-time Schedules• Driver Unaware of Awaiting Customers
Effects:• Schedule Problems • Lower Passenger Appreciation• Less Passengers• Less Revenue
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Regional Transit Need is Increasing
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• Hampton Roads has a population of 1.5 million• By 2025, Hampton Roads is projected for 2.5 million
• Annual Ridership on HRT: 18.5 million• Buses in the HRT System: 343• Average bus capacity is currently only at 15%
• Severe congestion is expected on 1,221 lane miles in Hampton
Roads in 2026
Source: http://www.hrtransit.org/pdf/hrtbrochure/HRT_Brochure.pdf http://www.gohrt.com/pdf/strategicplan/Strategic%20Plan%20Final%20--%20November%202008.pdf
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A Proposed Solution: communicate2Me
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Increase coordination of passengers and drivers by providing real time bi-directional
information
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The Solution
Real-time information for the driver such as: Prioritization of stops Number of commuters waiting at the next stop for
their route Accessible and convenient to end users Reasonable cost for transportation companies
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A Feasible Implementation
Passengers will be provided with methods to:• Allow Stop Reservations via:
o Personal Computer and Web Siteo Cellular Phone / Short Message Service(SMS) Texting
• Have notifications of changes in schedule
o SMS notification serviceo Email
Result:• Increases Coordination between driver and passenger
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Benefits
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Passengers:• Better Service• More Interaction• Greater Satisfaction
Bus Drivers:• Warning of Waiting Passengers• Increased Awareness of Future Loads• More Efficient Routes
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Evaluation Plan
• Time o Measured against baseline project plan
• Cost o Measured against budget plan per phase
• Scope o Measured against requirements document
• Quality o Measured by customer and end user
satisfaction
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{phase 0} - concept (60 days)
Milestones Problem Area DevelopmentFeasibility ResearchMilestone SchedulingWebsite DevelopmentSBIR Proposals
Acceptance Criteria
Review Board Acceptance
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{phase i} - prototype (130 days)
Milestones
Prototype SpecificationsTest PlanUser ManualsProposalPrototype Construction Demonstration
Acceptance Criteria
Review Board Acceptance
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{phase i} - hardware requirements
hardware qty total
SMS & Web Server 1 $1,500Software Development Workstation 1 $2,000Cellular Phones 2 $800
overall hardware costs $4,300
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{phase ii} - critical design (1 year)
Milestones
Web InterfaceWeb Message Algorithm
SMS Gateway Development
Algorithm DevelopmentAlgorithm Testing
Transit InterfaceInterface Test
Acceptance Criteria Interfaces with Google Transit
Receives SMS Messages
Passes Tests
Connects with Transit Authority's Systems
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{phase ii} - hardware requirements
hardware qty cost Total
SMS Server 2 $1000. $2,000
Web Server 1 $2000. $2,000
Algorithm Server 2 $2000. $4,000SMS Service / Credits (yearly) 1 $36,000 $36,000
overall hardware costs $44,000
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{phase iii} - production & beyond
Milestones
Support Current Installations Improvement: Modifications to Interface Improvements to Algorithm
Acceptance Criteria
Market Penetration Market Acceptance
Profitability
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in the box
• Service to set up and maintain: o Short Messaging Service gatewayso Web serverso Application servers
• Algorithm to communicate between end users and bus drivers
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not in the box
• Buses• Wireless communication between buses
and Transit Center• Tracking system for buses (GPS, RFID)
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who is the customer?
Initial customers: Transportation • Hampton Roads Transit (HRT)• Metropolitan Transportation Authorities
Future customers (Phase III+) Shipping• United States Postal Service (USPS)• United Parcel Service (UPS)
Other Services• Cable• Utilities
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price point
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Costs:
Yearly Cost to Customer: $400,000
Customer ROI:•Increases fuel mileage by 3%, saving $200,000 a year•Increases choice ridership, leading to more customers
risks & pitfalls
1. Interoperability problems
2. Latency Issues3. Abuse of the system4. SMS message costs 5. Phone incompatibility6. Transit operator
ignoring system 7. Down Time
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risk mitigation
Interoperability: • Direct Communication with each Transit Authority's
technicians Latency:• Optimize Incoming SMS Processing Time• Synchronize Driver Updates based on Position
Abuse of the System:• No way to mitigate without tracking passengers
Transit Operator Ignoring System:• Education• Tracking of Requests to Pickups
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budget
Funding Source: Department of Transportationo SBIR – Phase 1: $100,000o SBIR – Phase 2 : $650,000o SBIR –Phase 3: Small Business Loan/Venture Capatilists
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=MgLfJcyflkGLZ3tLyF7Rj6GTJrn0PfTyyFvzsQtD1TNF10WzQqWS!-802466050?oppId=46140&flag2006=false&mode=VIEW
http://www.gohrt.com/pdf/budget/Budget_2009.pdf
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cost to develop
• Phase 0:o Free
• Phase 1:o Hardware Resources - $4,300.00o Personnel Resources - $14,525.00
• Phase 2:o Hardware Resources - $44,000.00o Personnel Resources - $443,114.00
• Phase 3:o Hardware Resources - $37,200.00o Personnel Resources - $286,860.00
Total - $829,999.00
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closing statements
Current Systems are One-Way: • Informing the passengers, not Interacting with them.
communicate2Me promises to:• Connect Passengers with Drivers, and Vice Versa
Each phase is feasible in terms of:• Cost• Requirements• Staffing
let's do it!
communicate2Me
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