CityBus's real time information to go offline

CityBus announced today that its real-time passenger information systems will be unavailable due to a systems upgrade.

General Manager Martin Sennett said CityBus is upgrading its outdated system to provide more reliable information to riders in the future. The system uses GPS locations of buses to publish estimated departure times in real-time. CityBus will take the system off line on Tuesday, September 1st, and the system will be down until the upgrade is complete next Spring.

“Our current system is aging out at eight years old,” said Sennett. “We’ll be expanding our capability by moving from a low-bandwidth radio network to wireless technology with far greater bandwidth. This will improve the speed of transmission and reliability of information when the project is complete.”

Sennett said CityBus regrets the inconvenience to customers who rely on real-time information to plan bus trips. “The temporary loss of real-time information will require riders to rely on scheduled departure times instead of real-time data to plan their trips. We regret that real-time information will not be available, however the upgrade will result in improvements in the long run,” said Sennett.

CityBus is completely revamping its Computer Aided Dispatch/Automated Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) technologies, which were installed in 2001. CityBus has awarded the upgrade to Mentor Engineering, Inc. at an expense of just over $1 million.

CityBus is ending its relationship with its current CAD/AVL provider effective September 1st, bringing current systems offline.

Real-time information is broadcast to electronic signs at major bus stops like Beering Hall on University Street in West Lafayette, and to users of CityBus’s web site feature called “MyRide.” Users can view real-time information on the web page, wireless devices, or through a Widget placed on a computer desktop. None of these will display real-time departures while CityBus works on the upgrade.

Route schedules are available on CityBus’s web site at www.gocitybus.com. Printed schedules are available at CityBus offices, on buses, at the Purdue University Visitor Information Center, and other locations.

Labor Day Weekend Service Advisory

CityBus will not operate on Monday, September 7 for Labor Day, and all offices will be closed.

Campus Loops will not operate beginning at 6PM Friday, September 4, through Monday. This means there will be no evening Gold Loop, Tower Acres, NightRider, or Black Loop buses in operation. Campus Loop service will resume on Tuesday, September 8.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.

Downtown Detours for OUTfest

Main Street between 6th and 11th streets will be closed Saturday, August 29 for the OUTfest event, beginning at noon and lasting through the night. Buses will detour as follows:

• 1A Market Square, evening inbound route will follow Ferry St. instead of Main St.
• 3A Lafayette Square, inbound bus will follow Columbia St. instead of Main St.
• Wabash Trolley will follow 11th to Ferry, left on 3rd, resume route at Main St.

CityBus expanding service Monday, Aug. 17

CityBus will extend service to Clarian Arnett Hospital and will begin running several routes until midnight beginning Monday, August 17, 2009, announced Martin Sennett, General Manager.

Route 7 State Rd. 26 E. will provide service to the new hospital on Lafayette’s east side every 30 minutes during the daytime Monday through Saturday, once per hour on weeknights, and once per hour on Sundays.

Also starting Monday, many routes will begin operating until midnight. After running every 30 minutes until 7:15PM, the following routes will operate once per hour with trips departing downtown from 7:45PM until 11:45PM Monday through Friday:

• 1A Market Square
• 1B Salisbury
• 3A Lafayette Square
• 4B Purdue West/Klondike
• 7 State Road 26 E.
  

Route 4A Tippecanoe Mall will be expanded by two nighttime trips with the last bus departing downtown at 10:45PM.

Sennett said the expansion is designed to help late night workers get to jobs, and to help Purdue and Ivy Tech students get home after studying. The additional service is funded with a job access grant which must be renewed each year.

For route and schedule information, call 742-RIDE or visit www.gocitybus.com. Travel-training assistance for new riders learning how to use CityBus is available. Visit the web site or call 423-2666 for details.

CityBus expands hybrid bus fleet with 7 new buses

CityBus has added seven new hybrid buses to its fleet, Marty Sennett, CityBus general manager, announced at a new conference. The new buses bring the total number of hybrids to eleven out of nearly seventy buses.

CityBus added five 40-foot hybrids manufactured by Gillig Corporation in Hayward, California, and two 60-foot articulated hybrids manufactured by New Flyer in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Sennett pointed out that many components, including engines, hybrid drives, and steering components, were built in Indiana. The 60-foot buses have two rider sections and will be used on high-capacity routes.

U.S. Representative Steve Buyer, West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis, and Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski participated in the news conference. Buyer helped secure federal funding for the buses, which cost $516,000 for the 40-foot buses and $780,000 for the 60-foot buses. 80% of the cost was paid with federal funding.

“Hybrid buses use less fuel and reduce emissions,” said Sennett, “so investment in the technology is worthwhile.” Three additional hybrid buses are on order from Gillig, and will arrive next summer.