Valley Regional Transit (VRT) will be implementing a new intelligent transit system (ITS) beginning Monday, August 16. With this new system, VRT will address a critical need in its efforts to improve operations and enhance the ridership experience of its customers.
VRT’s new ITS is possible through a partnership with ETA Transit Systems of Boca Raton, Fla. ETA’s flagship intelligent transit system, named SPOT, will provide VRT with a flexible, modular system architecture that provides a versatile platform that will make an immediate impact on operational efficiency.
“We are excited about our partnership with ETA Transit Systems and the new SPOT vehicle tracking system,” said Kelli Badesheim, VRT Executive Director. “We are always looking at ways to better collect data and improve customer access to route information, and SPOT will help us accomplish these goals.”
VRT riders currently use the RouteShout app to get real-time or next scheduled bus arrival times. The transition from the RouteShout platform to the SPOT platform will began Wednesday, July 28, as new equipment is being installed on the buses. During the transition, tracking VRT buses will require both the RouteShout and SPOT apps. Both apps can be found at the Google Play and Apple app stores. The SPOT app will also power the bus tracker on the ValleyRegionalTransit.org website. During the transition the web-based bus tracker may not display current information.
The new VRT platform includes enhancements that touch every area of operations, including:
- Real-time bus tracking on public websites
- Mobile apps for Android and iOS apps
- Data collection, reporting, and analytics capabilities
- The presence of a trip planner on the app
“Our SPOT ITS sits at the forefront of modern transportation tracking and analytics,” notes ETA President John Maglio. “VRT understood that in order to remain competitive, it needed a system that would grow with them while remaining mindful of the budgetary constraints of its operations. Our SPOT ITS, with its open architecture, cloud-based platform will deliver the best of both worlds—customization and expansion that allows VRT to better serve both their riders and employees.”
About Valley Regional Transit:
Valley Regional Transit is the Regional Public Transportation Authority for Ada County and Canyon County. It operates 17 fixed bus routes in Boise/Garden City, four inter-county bus routes between Canyon County and Ada County, and on-demand bus service in Nampa-Caldwell. It also provides assistance to other public transportation providers in the two-county region.
About ETA Transit Systems:
Climb on board with the value leader in complete transit systems. ETA provides customers with some of the most advanced, scalable communications systems on the market. Our position as the value leader drives our commitment to delivering systems that grow with you over time. Our open architecture solutions allow for expansion, customization, and a lower cost of entry that packs more features into the tighter budgets of small- to mid-sized agencies, universities, and paratransit fleets. Learn more about the SPOT® ITS at www.etatransit.com, or like them on Facebook/ETATransit.
