Quick-Response Research on Long-Term Strategic Issues. Task 51. Enhancing Transit Operations with Artificial Intelligence

In the past decade, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has initiated a technological transformation in the transit industry. Public transit agencies are adopting AI to automate various planning, operations, maintenance, workforce, and customer service processes and to continue enhancing safety. Transit operators are shifting from manual data collection and analytics toward AI-based solutions powered by machine learning models. Examples of AI applications in transit include, but are not limited to, vehicle automation, transit signal priority, and computer vision. These and other applications have the potential to enhance route and resource optimization, employee and customer user experience, predictive maintenance, safety and security, and coordination with private transportation companies. Limited knowledge exists on how transit agencies use and evaluate AI for potential risks. More information is needed about where opportunities exist for AI to be integrated into existing transit operations and data sources. OBJECTIVES: This project shall explore the intersection of public transit operations and AI. The primary goal is to better understand how public transit agencies leverage AI to enhance service quality, efficiency, and safety; improve the customer and employee experience; and reduce cost.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5622
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Interim Report has been delivered and is under review.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $125,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project J-11, Task 51

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)

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

  Schoby, Jamaal

• Performing Organizations:

  Texas A&M University, College Station

  Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
  1470 William D. Fitch Parkway
  College Station, TX  United States  77845
• Principal Investigators:

  Najafi, Amirali

• Start Date: 20250414
• Expected Completion Date: 20261106
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Artificial intelligence; Costs; Implementation; Public transit; Risk assessment
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01902067
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project J-11, Task 51
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Dec 13 2023 1:25PM