Mechanical Precision Docking System: Improving Safety & Access for All

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority will investigate the development of existing European mechanical precision bus docking systems to expand their application to the United States and to provide transit agencies with a simple, low cost method of obtaining the benefits of precision docking. Precision docking refers to a variety of systems designed to enable a vehicle to align itself in exactly the same position at a station every time. Guidance enables the vehicle to follow a precisely defined path, as with light rail and streetcars. This precision can be used to achieve level, gap-free access by bringing the bus close alongside platforms. The investigators will work with two existing European transit systems using mechanical precision docking technology, and with local manufacturers to develop a prototype system that can be used in the United States, and to establish a field demonstration of the technology as part of Cleveland's Euclid Corridor Transportation project, a Bus Rapid Transit project. Precision docking has the potential to improve transit service by increasing efficiency, safety, and passenger access. A revised proposal was submitted that addressed panel comments. A complete contract package for this project and a request to prepare a contract was sent to the NAS Office of Contracts.

• Record URL:
  http://www.nationalacademies.org/trb/idea

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $86950.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project J-04, IDEA 3

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Transit Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001
• Project Managers:

  Parker, Stephan

• Performing Organizations:

  Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

  1240 West 6th Street
  Cleveland, OH  United States  44113-
• Principal Investigators:

  Romeo, Dave

• Start Date: 20021124
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 7566

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transit operations; Buses; Docking; Mechanical engineering; Precision; Public transit; Research projects; Transit riders
• Identifier Terms: Transit Cooperative Research Program
• Geographic Terms: Cleveland (Ohio)
• Old TRIS Terms: Transit cooperative research program
• Subject Areas: Passenger Transportation; Public Transportation; Railroads; Research; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01459280
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transit Cooperative Research Program
• Contract Numbers: Project J-04, IDEA 3
• Files: RIP, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 3 2013 1:00PM