Transit uses in Campbell River are now able to track their bus using Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technology.
The technology provided under BC Transit’s NextRide technology allows bus riders to see real-time bus locations along routes and identify what predicted arrival times are at any selected stop.
NextRide is a BC Transit initiative to install AVL technology on buses across the province. This technology already enables customers across a number of transit systems on Vancouver Island, Squamish/Whistler and in the Interior to use web browsers and smart mobile devices to see the location of their bus along its route and its predicted arrival time at an identified stop. By downloading the Transit App, customers know exactly when their bus will arrive and allow them to see how full a bus is at any given time.
“It’s great to see the successful NextRide program being rolled out across the province. State-of-the-art technology like this will enhance the user experience, encourage more people to leave their cars at home and help rebuild transit ridership as we emerge from COVID-19,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Onboard the buses, automated stop announcements call out stops to customers riding the bus which increases comfort and convenience while also improving overall accessibility for many using transit, according to BC Transit.
Through BC Transit, the AVL technology will provide bus location data to mobility providers like Google Maps and their partner Transit App, so customers across the province can track and monitor bus routes using their application of choice.
The NextRide project is funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. This project is being cost shared with the Government of Canada contributing 50 per cent, the Province of British Columbia contributing 40 per cent and local government partners contributing the remaining 10 per cent. The project cost for NextRide being installed in these additional transit systems is nearly $6 million.