Assignment 2: Preventing ‘Bus Bunching’ with Smart Phone Application Implementation - Draft 2 (Reader Response)

In the article “Preventing ‘Bus Bunching’ with Smart Phone Application Implementation”, Sprogis (n.d.) claims that implementing a smartphone application for bus drivers will help shorten waiting times and prevent overcrowding. Sprogis analyses the data of bus crowds using AnyLogic's GIS features to create a solution called "Equilibrium" based on the distance between buses. By doing so buses will make refined adjustments to the route by altering its speed and maintaining the ideal headway. Sprogis (n.d.) believes that this helps to make the riders in each bus more consistent and develop more predictable waiting times. Eventually, “eliminating excessively long waiting times and dampens overcrowding of buses”.  While I support Sprogis’s idea to tackle problems on bus bunching using smartphones. I feel that we can consider other technological applications that might better aid in resolving bus bunching.

Firstly, usage of smartphone application to tackle bus bunching has been successfully tested. In a CBW article “Bus Bunching prevention technology successfully trialed in Washington DC”, the author (2015) mentions about smartphones installed in buses that update at a constant time interval and alerts drivers immediately to slow down or speed up. Shashkin, a technical partner at EastBanc Technologies shares that the application will “transmit a positioning signal every three seconds from every bus through EastBanc’s TransitIQ system” then alert drivers if the headway is too far or near . Since it uses smartphones which are widely used and easily accessed, it is practical and advantageous to use the existing technologies available in smartphones. In this case, EastBanc uses the cloud functions in smartphones to store its bus location data and share with the public. With that being said, EastBanc uses a similar approach of utilizing smartphones, the only difference being that it is able to share its bus locations in real-time to riders. In my opinion, since it has been successfully trialed, it solidifies and proves that Sprogis’s idea is feasible.

Secondly, application of technology system in tablets to improve bus bunching in college campus buses. In an NAU article “NAU’s new bus system makes for shorter waiting times for riders”, Jarrette (2019) mentions a new system that computes the ideal layover time at each stop for drivers to reposition and prevent bunching. The system was created for campus buses at the Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Arizona. The cloud service system “BusGenuis” works by creating several intervals along the route and computes the ideal, short delay required to evenly space all the buses. The delay time is then transmitted to the bus and “displayed as a countdown on a tablet” for drivers and riders to gauge when the bus is departing. The layover points are also catered to student’s needs, stopping for longer times at transit points like parking lots or student unions. In my opinion, I feel that this idea is great as it shortens headways,  having frequent buses and adjustable layover times based on students' needs. As compared to Sprogis, this idea better aids bus bunching and improves rider’s experience.


Lastly, utilization of a two-way bus communication system has been trialed. In a streetsblog article “Here’s How New CTA Technology Helps Reduce Bus Bunching”, Vance (2015) mentions that a two-way communication system is created by pairing the existing bus tracker system with the new software at the control center. The software alerts when buses don't maintain the ideal headway and creates a solution to close the gap. The supervisor informs drivers through text from a device installed on the bus windshield. Though the system has seen an improvement in maintaining headways. I feel that it is more complicated and not as reliable compared to other sources. Though it uses technology to gage and create a solution to maintain the ideal headways of buses. It is unreliable having a third party to manually relay the solution through text messaging. Also, it is not safe for drivers to check messages while driving on the road as they might get distracted. In my opinion, the idea is interesting but not as feasible compared to Sprogis.


In conclusion, Sprogis’s ideas of using a phone application to prevent bus bunching is highly achievable. However, incorporating several ideas from the other articles might aid in improving and refining Sprogis’s smartphone application idea and potentially bringing better results.


References


CBW. (2015, September 28). Bus bunching prevention technology successfully trialled in Washington DC. CBW. https://cbwmagazine.com/bus-bunching-prevention-technology-successfully-trialled-in-washington-dc/


Jarette, C. (2019, June 27). NAU's new bus system makes for shorter wait times for riders. NAU News. https://news.nau.edu/nau-bus-schedules/#.X36jrGgvM2w


Sprogis, D. (n.d.). Preventing 'Bus Bunching' with Smart Phone Application Implementation. Analogic. https://www.anylogic.com/preventing-bus-bunching-with-smart-phone-application-implementation/ 

Vance, S. (2015, May 14). Here's How New CTA Technology Helps Reduce Bus Bunching. STREETSBLOG CHICAGO. https://chi.streetsblog.org/2015/05/14/heres-how-new-cta-technology-helps-reduce-bus-bunching/ 



(Revised: 13 October 2020)

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