Overview

Avail Technologies wanted a modern, elegant way for dispatchers to view and interact with transit assets. The system needed to support dozens of dispatchers and hundreds of vehicles, routes, and stops with high-frequency live updates and significant data throughput.

Dispatch Map Design

I designed and lead the visual development of a modern dispatcher map that integrates with existing systems, but provides intuitive searching, performant live mapping, and at-a-glance status visualizations for vehicles, stops, and route departures. The map combines related data in new and useful ways and provides a modern interface for dispatching purposes.

My Role: Design Lead

• Architecture Design

• Project Management

• Web Design

• Automated and Manual QA

• Performance Testing

Digital to Physical Successes

Like many other cities in the U.S., (Lancaster, CA, Palm Beach County, FL, Lansing, MI) own city of Grand Rapids’ bus system, the Rapid, uses the data from the Avail reports to:

• Proactively analyze and improve running times;

• Fine-tune which time points need to be shifted to another stop, ensuring there is a safe place to wait if the operators arrive a little early; and

• Optimize stop locations and spacing, reducing some stop density where appropriate, to maintain timely and convenient service.

REAL-LIFE, HIGHER ON-TIME PERFORMANCE

The Rapid is deploying all of its resources more efficiently, which ultimately results in better performance, including consistently achieving OTP of 90 to 95%. On a recent Saturday, The Rapid even operated at an amazing 98 percent on time. With such positive results, the team at The Rapid is confident that they will continue to make the best data-driven decisions and continue to improve their service to the community.

The Before