September 2007

Some Factors to Consider

Smart Card ID or fare cards integrated with AVL allows agencies to be billed on the basis of the number of trips and the distance of each, which in turn allows passengers to travel without the hassle of paying per trip.

Adequate Resources

Capacity for data transmission and storage.
Staff resources to analyze data and maintain and manage AVL system.

Integration

Interoperability with existing and planned technologies of all partnering agencies.
Flexibility to add agencies and vehicles.
Clearly defined responsibilities among agencies.

Implementation

Testing technology on a subset of vehicles.
Contracting for adequate training of all staff.
Allowing for more time to implement than anticipated.

AVL systems are a core technology only for large human services agencies or brokerages (those with 50 or more vehicles) or medium-sized urban agencies, for which trip lengths are inconsistent and vehicle use is high. Since human services transit has more information about its passengers and their travel patterns than do most types of transit, AVL should be considered only by agencies that can benefit from the efficiencies afforded by real-time scheduling.