Leading mobility analytics systems provider Citilabs has launched its new Flow transit planning, operating and reporting platform at the American Public Transit Association (APTA) Expo in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Citilabs’ new Flow solution delivers a complete system for monitoring and predicting transit system performance, enabling better planning and operations decisions. Transit managers, operators and planners are tasked with monitoring and predicting performance, operations and budget, which typically involves manually intensive processes and guess work. They are looking for ways to save time, money and improve forecasting and reporting accuracy and Citilabs says Flow is the perfect solution to do exactly that and make their jobs easier.Â
The platform uses big data analytics and predictive technologies to provide valuable insights for the management, operation and planning of public transport systems. Flow applies proven methodologies for accurately expanding sparse sensor data to replicate passenger movements and for forecasting ridership.
Flow’s platform monitors and emulates the movement of passengers and vehicles, creating a complete digital replica of the current and forecasted condition. The platform removes many manual processes and provides transit operators with new visibility into their public transport system. Flow’s features include:
• Flow Engine – By reconstructing and analyzing fare card data and GPS traces with Citilabs’ data expansion capabilities, a complete digital representation is produced that shows every vehicle and every trip, even from partial data;
• Scenario Planning – Test and visualize short-range for optimizing operations over weeks and months, and effectively plan for long-range improvements to public transport infrastructure and operations;
• Performance Metrics – Improved forecasting capabilities and a full understanding of system performance are the result of combining different public transport data pieces, with Flow providing tracking and visualization of these metrics.
The city of Cape Town in South Africa has already started using this newest Citilabs system. The city’s principal professional officer, Edward Beukes, commented, “Flow gives us an overview of system performance, gaining a more accurate picture of the commuter experience. This allows us to respond to changes in demand quickly, and gives us a unique view into revenue and ridership that we’ve never had before.”
Citilabs CEO Michael Clarke said, “Our new Flow solution monitors and emulates the movement of passengers and vehicles, creating a complete digital replica of the current and forecasted transit condition. This exclusive platform removes many manual processes and provides transit managers, operators and planners with unprecedented visibility into their transit system, enabling optimal system management through better planning and operations decisions.”
