City Finally Gets Bus GPS —Well, Some

Thinking about the easiest way to get a ride to the train station? Now there’s an app for that.

The state is months behind schedule on fulfilling a promise to install GPS tracking on New Haven’s CT Transit buses.

The city, meanwhile, made the first move in getting riders tracking information for public buses — by installing its own GPS system in the free shuttles that loop around downtown and make final stops at Union Station. The small-scale technology could give New Haveners a taste of what to expect when the long-awaited bus GPS signals finally come to town.

Prospective riders can download the ​“Ride Systems” app on their smartphones, choose New Haven as the location, and immediately access a timetable of stops letting them know exactly where the shuttle is and will be for the next 10 minutes or so. A ​“live tracker” map pinpoints that location along an outlined green route, with a circled white square representing the shuttle as it moves.

New Haven transit chief Doug Hausladen checked his iPhone at about 5 p.m. one recent evening to see where he could most easily catch the shuttle.

It had just left Chapel Street, right on the Green. Rather than run to chase it, he decided to head it off around the Temple Street Garage, lengthening his stride as he rounded the corner.

But, as he reached the Green, he noticed a stunned crowd watching an ugly fistfight near the bus stop. He chose to run across the street and physically help break it up, yelling to bystanders to call the police. With the men calmer and still-fisted, he continued walking up Chapel Street and turning on Temple.

He checked the app again. Again, he wasn’t going to make it. But at least he could plan in advance.

Access to real-time data on public transit relieves riders’ stress significantly, Hausladen said, citing a 2011 study of the Seattle bus system. ​“You just can’t reduce the stress fast enough,” he said.

Using creative thinking and a bit of systems hacking, New Haven’s transit department managed to finagle its own limited tracking system — months before the state.

“This is standard in most communities for transit customers. This is standard. This is no longer innovation,” Hausladen said.

Through a partnership with CT Transit, the city’s economic development department and the Parking Authority, Hausladen’s team tested real-time availability, with the intent of increasing the functionality of the downtown free shuttle and increasing access to Union Station without cars.

At a May 2014 hackathon, the local tech community figured out a way to hack iPhone or Android GPS signals and display the moving signal from a web page — with the thought of allowing riders to track bus drivers’ cell phones. But CT Transit officials vetoed that plan, saying it was too dangerous to have bus drivers fumbling with phones while driving, to turn the signal on and off.

Then, the city talked to its team at Verizon — with which it has a contract — about getting devices that generate GPS and WiFi, to be placed on the downtown free shuttles.

But they still needed a way to visualize the signal for users.

In conversations with major employers with shuttle systems, Hausladen’s team found RideSystems — and contracted with them for $75 per month to set up web apps for the two shuttles.

Screens broadcasting the maps at Temple Street Garage and Union Station allow those without smartphones to participate in the new technology.

Since the state owns and operates the shuttles, the city had to sign a memorandum of understanding with CT Transit in order to install the GPS system in the buses.

Installation of the display screens, one year of cell service, secure enclosures for the screens, media cards and the screens themselves cost about $17,356. Hausladen is trying to get businesses and other organizations along the shuttle route with screens already installed to broadcast the map.

State Delays

As for the state version on its fleet of buses — that won’t be ready until winter, said Michael Sanders, transit administrator. GPS installation is expected to start in September, with each bus going live with real-time data once it is installed. Riders will be able to track any bus in real time by the end of the year, he said.

That’s a few months later than expected this past spring, when the CT DOT promised full installation by September. Sanders said the installation is a difficult one. ​“It’s the on-board equipment that needs to be installed, then we’re good to go,” he said.

Back in downtown New Haven, Ed Wither was operating the shuttle Hausladen finally boarded back on Chapel Street. Since people gained the ability to track their buses a couple of months ago, there has been no measurable difference in the number of riders he has had. But when harried riders ask him exactly when the shuttle leaves from Union Station, he can point to the tracking screen tucked inside the bus shelter.

“They say, ​‘Oh, look at that!’” Wither said.

He had no idea his buses offered free WiFi connections, until Hausladen informed him Thursday. ​“Students will appreciate that,” he said.

There’s still more to do, Hausladen said. He is the only one responsible for troubleshooting the system. The Temple Street Garage’s screen was down when he passed by Thursday evening, and he had trouble trying to get it up again.

He also wants to improve travel along the limited route. Right now, three bus stops converge around lots near Route 34 on the way to Union Station. The route could be modified to make travel more convenient for customers.