Best Practices: Real-Time Information
June 6,2017
Source: Marwan Al-Mukhtar, Mass Transit
The Atlanta Streetcar is a critical first step in an exciting new age for transportation in downtown Atlanta and across the city. Smart growth requires visionary ideas and bold initiatives. The Atlanta Streetcar is both, and it represents the promise of great new things for this great city.
The Atlanta Streetcar provides missing circulation and direct connectivity to existing transit services coming into Downtown Atlanta. The 2.7 mile East-West route offers connections to the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transportation Authority (MARTA) and last-mile connectivity to the Atlanta BeltLine. The system uses four American-made Siemens S70 vehicles operating on an overhead power system. Each is capable of carrying up to 200 passengers.
All of us at the Atlanta Streetcar are committed to providing timely and convenient service to its riders through a new mobile ticketing app that displays clear and accurate real-time data about our public transit system.
With a few simple taps, riders can select their route, direction, and stop location to see GPS-based arrival times instantly. Soon, passengers will also be able to track our Streetcars on a real-time map.
The new app, which launched December 19, 2016, uses digital identities technology to track real-time arrival information that is easy to understand. The Atlanta Streetcar app is the first to launch with this new technology already built-in. The Atlanta Streetcar is also the first transit system in the metropolitan Atlanta area to offer an official mobile app.
The Atlanta Streetcar partnered with moovel N.A., Tozny and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create a simple and easy-to-use mobile ticketing app.
Our goal is to make it easier for residents and visitors to use public transportation within the City of Atlanta. We are excited to provide this new technology to our riders and will continue to make customer–friendly enhancements and improvements which encourage growth and expansion for the Atlanta Streetcar.