As Transportation Nation reports, wireless service is coming to New York’s subways, but progress is slow. The long-delayed project is scheduled for completion in four years, with three Manhattan stations to be wired within six months. Transit Wireless will charge telecom companies for use of the wireless signal and share those revenues with the MetropolitanRead… Read more »
An illegal network of ticket agents is overcharging Indian Railways customers for booking tickets online. Scammers are asking passengers to pay Rs 100 instead of the actual Rs 20 fee. Agents have also hacked into the website of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, which is the railway’s e-ticketing outlet, to purchase last-minute premiumRead… Read more »
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (DC) is launching a social media campaign intended, in part, to create a two-way dialogue with riders. After years of using Twitter almost exclusively to push out automated service updates, Metro recently created a new Twitter account (@MetroForward) that engages customers in conversation. “We’re putting the people, the toolsRead… Read more »
Just in case its customers have not yet grasped the concept, the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company created a video guide to explain the ABCs of quiet cars. As The Boston Globe explains: The video features clueless passengers, played by the company’s staff, peppering real-life train conductors with not-so-complex questions about quiet car rules: “CanRead… Read more »
This Big City tries to apply the lessons of consumer-demand services like Groupon and Living Social to transportation planning. These programs are based on the economic concept of market equilibrium, or the intersection of supply and demand. Translating this concept from consumer goods to transit services, the post asks the following: Why not take theRead… Read more »
The California state senate approved a bill that will allow Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus (CA) to test digital advertising on the sides of its buses. City officials believe that the ads could generate $8 million in revenues a year, but opponents claim that the moving billboards could distract other drivers and cause accidents. “AdvertisingRead… Read more »
As part of its efforts to improve customer communications, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (DC) hired a social media manager. Brian Anderson joins Metro on August 1; he spoke with Washington Post reporter Dana Hedgpeth (@postmetrogirl) about his new position. Some excerpts from the conversation: DH: Why is it important to do social mediaRead… Read more »
Ottawa’s OC Transpo (ON) is warning riders not to rely on unofficial Twitter accounts that provide service information and status updates. Unlike systems in other Canadian cities, OC Transpo does not have an official Twitter account and riders have taken things into their own hands. One Twitter account (@OCTranspoAlerts) reposts service updates from OC Transpo’sRead… Read more »
The people have spoken and Calgary Transit’s (AB) new smart card has a name: Connect. Customers submitted more than 5,000 names for consideration, and the top choices were put to a vote. Connect handily beat the other two finalists (Energy and Range). The Connect card is scheduled to launch in June 2012. Original post
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (CA) launched a 4G wireless network on its light-rail service last week, making VTA the first mass transit agency in the world to offer customers an all-4G network. “As the transit provider of Silicon Valley, it is most appropriate that VTA be the first in providing our passengers withRead… Read more »