GoTriangle, an information partnership of regional public transportation agencies and organizations, introduced GoLive Oct. 19. GoLive is a free automated tool providing public transportation riders with real-time arrival predictions for Triangle Transit, Chapel Hill Transit, Durham Area Transit Authority, Capital Area Transit and N.C. State University's Wolfline buses. C-Tran, the Town of Cary's transit service, also will be part of the GoLive system beginning early next year.
GoLive is designed to make it easier for people to get to school or work, while the use of advanced technology enhances the agencies' ability to deliver state-of-the-art services to customers.
TransLoc, a Raleigh-based transportation information company, developed GoLive, which will be the first regional, multi-vendor, real-time project in the nation that integrates several transit agencies' trip information into one mobile and web interface. This system will allow for the seamless planning of trips using public transportation in the Triangle region. Riders will have a real-time view of buses in route on a detailed online map. GoLive will be accessible on the web, mobile web, smartphones or by text message beginning Nov.15.
The six participating bus stations will have digital message signs, and bus stops throughout the system also will have directions on accessing GoLive.
"This new system gives current and first-time riders real-time information to help them plan their transit schedules," says David King, general manager of Triangle Transit, a GoTriangle partner. "With the number of public transportation riders steadily increasing throughout the Triangle, GoLive will help us reach more new riders, assist current customers and make transit a better experience. This approach also provides a more efficient use of public resources for transit."
"TransLoc is by riders for riders. As users of mass transit ourselves, we have worked hard to develop mobile tools that make our experience riding the bus easier and more enjoyable," says Josh Whiton, CEO of TransLoc. "We are happy to share those tools with the greater Triangle community."
DRI Corp., a Durham-based digital communications technology leader in the global surface transportation and transit security markets, also is a project partner. The company is providing the digital signage installed at the Regional Transit Center, Cary train station, Moore Square and Durham Station Transportation Center.
GoLive project funding includes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), as well as resources provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Advanced Technology Program and local sources.
GoLive signage will be up at 860 bus stops beginning Nov. 18 and approximately 2,100 additional stops throughout the Triangle region in the next six months. Additionally, GoLive will be integrated with North Carolina's 511 real-time system so passengers will be able to access automated real-time information by phone beginning in spring 2012.
For more information, visit www.gotriangle.org.