Travel Assistance Device (TAD) to Help Transit Riders

This project developed a Travel Assistance Device (TAD) for transit riders with cognitive disabilities through the creation of an intelligent software system that integrates cell phones with transit agencies' automated vehicle location (AVL) systems. This project built on the initial TAD work funded through the National Center for Transit Research at the University of South Florida (USF) by the Florida Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Transportation. The TAD prototype software application was developed at USF and was tested with the participation of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) Authority, which serves the Tampa area. TAD uses multimedia cell phones with built-in global positioning systems (GPS) to overcome the challenges facing new transit riders, especially those who with cognitive disabilities. The TAD provides many services to the user, including ringing, vibrating, or playing a message as a reminder when the rider is approaching their stop. This tracking system can also monitor their travel behavior in real-time and notify the travel instructor or guardian if the rider deviates from the expected route. This project enhanced the TAD by providing a link to HART's real-time AVL data. This data can be used to provide services including: (1) delivering information to the rider via their mobile phone while they are waiting at the bus stop and while they are riding on the bus, (2) notifying riders when their specific bus has arrived, (3) providing the rider with identifying information so that they board the correct bus if multiple buses are present, and (4) alerting the rider and officials if the rider boards the incorrect bus.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=2261

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Contract Numbers:

  Project J-04, IDEA 5

• 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:

  Berlin, Harvey

• Performing Organizations:

  University of South Florida, Tampa

  Center for Urban Transportation Research
  3650 Spectrum Boulevard
  Tampa, FL  United States  33612-9446
• Principal Investigators:

  Perez, Rafael

  Labrador, Miguel

  Georggi, Nevine

  Barbeau, Sean

  Winters, Philip

• Start Date: 20100624
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 26614

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic vehicle location; Cellular telephones; Public transit; Ridership; Tracking systems; Transit operating agencies; Transit riders; Wireless communication systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Travel assistance devices
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01562518
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project J-04, IDEA 5
• Files: TRB, RiP
• Created Date: Apr 30 2015 1:00AM