Introduction

This article describes a proposed Web 2.0 application designed to enable citizens to improve public transport system operations. Bus Meister is a concept developed by Andrew Nash that combines a public transport operations simulation game based on research on public transport operations, combined with social networking applications designed to help generate the political support needed to actually implement public transport improvements. If the application is successful it could be expanded to other modes of transport such as bicycling or walking.

Bus Meister combines several different Web 2.0 technologies into a single application. An associated Streetswiki article called Web 2.0 for Transport Planning summarizes how these Web 2.0 technologies are being used today in the transport planning process.

Bus Meister is a conceptual proposal (Bus Meister detailed proposal). The goal is to obtain a grant to create the game, database and social networking connections. We are looking for funding and assistance for this project. One potential source is in an upcoming European Union 7th Framework Program research call for projects (2010). Other ideas will be welcomed.

Bus Meister – An integrated proposal for using web 2.0 techniques to improve public transport operations

Web 2.0 for Transport Planning describes many Web 2.0 applications for transportation planning. This article describes a potential application that combines many of these ideas into an integrated approach for improving participation in the public transport planning process. The goal is two-fold: first to show how Web 2.0 applications could be integrated into transportation planning process; and, second to describe a specific application.

1  Bus Meister Introduction

Bus Meister uses Web 2.0 applications to involve citizens in the process of identifying and implementing good ideas improving public transport operations. It starts with a game enabling users to test and understand how operating changes can improve service on their public transport routes. The game’s foundation is a crowd sourced research database documenting best practices in public transport operations. Finally, Bus Meister helps get good ideas implemented by providing social networking tools to help users generate political support for improvements. [1]

Bus Meister would initially focus on public transport priority measures. These are cost effective measures designed to increase public transport attractiveness by speeding-up buses, streetcars and trains. Public transport priority measures are excellent ways to reduce congestion because they are generally inexpensive and can be implemented quickly. [2] [3] Bus Meister would be a prototype; if it is successful it could be expanded for other modes of transport.

2  Research Database

Bus Meister’s foundation is a crowd sourced research database presenting information on best practices. Information is presented on three levels: detailed, technical overview wiki pages and public summary wiki pages.

At the detailed level, researchers and transport professionals (the “crowd”) would enter information about their projects (abstract, contacts, links, etc.).

The technical overview wiki pages would focus on a single subject area (e.g. door opening and closing), researchers and professionals would edit these pages based on results of their projects. They will be encouraged to do this since these pages will provide good exposure for their work.

The public summary wiki pages would be created and maintained by system editors. These editors would be experts and would serve a function similar to editors of technical journals. They would develop non technical pages for a complete hierarchy of information.

3  Bus Meister Game

The Bus Meister game allows users to examine the impacts of public transport improvements on their own public transport routes. The game will both teach users about public transport operations and help them assess the value of their ideas.

First players enter information (e.g. travel time, location of bus lanes, etc.) about their public transport route into the game using an interfaces developed with Web 2.0 applications (e.g. Google Maps). Applications would be developed for smart phones to facilitate this process. Players would collaborate in creating these route maps. As more information is added, the maps will become quite accurate. (Public transport operators would be welcome to assist in this process.)

Once route information was on-line, players could test their improvement ideas by dragging improvement widgets on to the route map and the game would estimate the benefits and impacts. For example, the player could add traffic signal priority by dragging the “public transport priority signalization widget” onto the route map at the intersection.

The improvement widgets would be based on the research in the database (e.g. traffic signal priority reduces time spent at traffic signals by 20%). The game would apply data from the widget to the specific route (e.g. buses spend an average of 60 seconds waiting at this intersection) to estimate the benefit and impacts (e.g. on cross traffic).

4   Bus Meister’s Social Networking

The goal of Bus Meister is to implement ideas that make public transport work better. Therefore, Bus Meister will create a platform and tools to support local and theme-based user groups.

Local users will typically be public transport advocates in specific regions. They would collaborate on identifying appropriate public transport improvements for routes in their region. These user groups would help encourage users to participate and remain active by providing forums for information sharing and ideas (e.g. ‘tournaments’ where group members compete to develop the most effective measures for a given line).

Local groups will also provide feedback to fellow users. A key problem with many internet-related applications is that people send a comment and never get any response. [4]  Since it would be impossible for public agencies to respond to all the ideas generated by users, local groups would need to evaluate ideas and only recommend the best ones for further study.

Local groups will also generate political support for improving public transport. Bus Meister would help by providing social networking tools as well as information on organizing for change. These tools are similar to those currently being used by the Livable Streets Initiative and SeeClickFix (http://www.seeclickfix.com).

Finally, Bus Meister would include integrated interfaces to social networking applications. It is easy to see someone starting a Facebook group dedicated to improving a particular transit route with information from the latest Bus Meister game evaluations. These integrated social community systems will significantly increase the ability to generate political support for implementing public transport improvements.

5   Bus Meister’s Professional Networking Component

Bus Meister’s professional networking element will improve the understanding of public transport best practices and research quality.

Bus Meister will improve research quality by providing a single location for information; providing researchers with a real-time state-of-the-art summary that enables them to identify fruitful areas for research and providing them with an effective dissemination platform.

Research quality will also be improved through creation of a professional social networking community; public transport managers could use Bus Meister’s professional network to contact researchers with questions about their research, and, in turn, researchers could ask professionals to evaluate the practicality of research ideas and/or to field test ideas on their public transport systems.

Finally, Bus Meister users (i.e. public transport customers) will generate some totally new ideas for improving public transport. These ideas will be fed into the professional forum discussions for evaluation. Promising ideas could then be taken-up for more detailed study. This type of customer-driven innovation is likely to develop ideas that professionals don’t see because they are too close to the subject.

6   Developing and Implementing Bus Meister

The two main tasks in developing the Bus Meister application are creating the research database-wiki, and developing the game.

The research database–wiki would be developed using an open source application. It would not be complicated to develop, although it will take time to populate the database and to create the initial summary pages and organization. This could be done by completing a state-of-the-art survey, summarizing research results, entering data into the wiki, and appointing editors to manage the information.

Developing the Bus Meister game will be the most complex part of the project. Essentially it would be a mini public transport operations analysis model, thus transport analysts would need to work closely with computer game developers to create a useful and usable game. As outlined in Section 6 of Web 2.0 for Transport Planning , there are many transportation simulation games, thus talented game developers should be available for this effort. The process would include developing and testing several different versions of the game.

 

ALSO ON THE LIVABLE STREETS NETWORK

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REFERENCES

[1]    http://www.andynash.com/busmeister.html accessed 31 July 2009.

[2]    Nash, Andrew; Implementing Zurich's Transit Priority Program, Transportation Research Record #1835; Transportation Research Board, Washington D.C.; 2003.

[3]    Nash, Andrew and Ronald Sylvia; Implementation of Zurich's Transit Priority Program; Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University; Report 01-13, October 2001. http://transweb.sjsu.edu/mtiportal/research/publications/summary/0113.html accessed 23 July 2009.

[4]     http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell/index.html accessed 30 July 2009.

 

PICTURE REFERENCES

Pictures are cited in the order they appear above. Please keep citation style consistent.

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FURTHER READING

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