Digital interactions company Conduent’s Transportation business unit will help two public transit agencies in Southern California operate their fleets and provide quality, on-time service for passengers, with the deployment of connected vehicle technologies.
Under two new contracts, the company will upgrade hardware and software for the management system on board hundreds of buses for the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD), as well as key portions of Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) system. The agencies will use Conduent’s computer-aided dispatch/automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL) system to assist drivers with routing and keep buses on schedule, as well as provide real-time vehicle information on bus locations for passengers to make informed decisions. For dispatch personnel, the systems track the performance of the buses and enable effective communications with the fleet. The MTS and OCTA contracts mark an extension of Conduent’s ongoing work with these two agencies.
In San Diego, the upgrades will be performed on 375 buses operated by MTS and another 155 buses operated by NCTD. The work will entail the first large-scale deployment of the company’s advanced Integrated Vehicle Unit (IVU)-4000 version of CAD/AVL. The new IVU-4000 on-board system, coupled with key upgrades, will provide an enhanced user experience for drivers and less workload for dispatchers, so they can offer a better overall performance for passengers.
In Orange County, Conduent will perform for OCTA key software upgrades on the CAD/AVL system, and will work with the authority to develop and pilot a first-of-its-kind bus communications capability based upon Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). This updated technology will make use of the IVU-4000 system’s enhanced capabilities, coupled with cellular communications, to allow dispatchers to more efficiently communicate with operators. The initial pilot will be conducted on 12 OCTA buses to test the functionality and reliability of the VOIP solution, with the goal of migrating the entire fleet to the new technology.
In the Los Angeles Region, the company also provides fleet management solutions for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), in addition to a range of other transportation services across the region in support of transit, public parking, tolling and safety programs. Conduent provides dynamic pricing software and hardware for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s (LADOT) LA Express Park program. The on-street parking technology enables the agency to manage curbside usage, improving access to spaces and increasing turnover, ultimately reducing congestion.
Formerly the Xerox Corporation’s transportation business division, Conduent Transportation also helps to ease travel across Los Angeles County by modernizing the tolling system on Metro ExpressLanes with the latest in automated technologies. Through a recent contract with LA Metro, the company’s upgrades will save drivers time via reduced congestion, while improving safety on both the I-10 and I-110 corridors.
“These upgrades are critically important for our clients and their customers,” said John Peracchio, Interim CEO, Conduent Transportation. “The newer systems will give the agencies more data and options for operations to run smoothly, leading to even more reliable and trusted service for riders.”
