rtpi 2013 stuart lowrie
TRANSCRIPT
STREAM B
Stuart Lowrie
Senior Professional Officer, The City of
Edinburgh Council
Bustracker – www.mybustracker.co.uk: Web Based RTPI Development and User
Statistics Analysis
Will there ever be a case for removing on-street displays?
Stuart Lowrie
Acting Public Transport Manager
The City of Edinburgh Council
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• Launched in 2004
• Funding from Scottish Executive Public Transport Fund
• Partnership between Council, Lothian Buses and Ineo
• Initially 85 on-street signs located on Quality Bus Corridors
• Designed for use by multiple operators
• Radio based system
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On-street signs
• Additional funding in following years
• Currently around 400 signs on-street
• Key stops, interchanges, supermarkets, hospitals, airport
• 2300 bus stops total
• Entire Lothian Buses fleet included
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On-street signs
• Demand for new signs still high
• Devised scoring rationale for new sign installations
• Rollout of talking signs, 20 locations
• Limited budget available
• Maintenance costs associated with signs is high
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Sign distribution
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Bus stop distribution
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Web / Mobile
• MyBusTracker.co.uk
• Launched in 2008
• Provides information for all stops served by Lothian Buses
• At stop QR codes
• Good value when compared to on-street signs
• WAP and mobile site
• Marketing on signs and posters / leaflets
• Recent server upgrade
• API and statistics now available
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iPhone / Android
• Developed by members of public
• Use phones GPS to locate nearest stop
• Very popular
• Web hits exceeding 500,000 per day
• Web hits and smartphone downloads increasing
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Website requests per month
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What next?
• Statistical analysis of website carried out by WYG
• Allow understanding of distribution of requests and user behaviour ▪ Which bus stops receive the most requests for web-based
information?
▪ What device is used to access the information?
▪ Should bus stops with on-street signs and high web-based requests have the signs removed?
▪ What bus stops receive the least requests for web-based information?
▪ How can web-based requests be made more popular at these bus stops?
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Most popular stops
Edinburgh University
Heriot-Watt University
Edinburgh Park
Edinburgh University
Interchange on route to hospital
City centre without sign
Popular residential without sign
Anomaly
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Application usage by stop
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Application usage by ward
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Using the information
• At stop advertising
• Approach businesses, hotels B&B’s, schools
• Identify stops that may have less need for signs and develop a strategy for removal
• Web stats and sign scoring matrix can be used as justification for why one particular sign is removed and not another
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Conclusions
• Website and smartphone use is becoming increasingly popular – set to continue, smartphone sales outsell all others
• On-street signs are still very popular – especially with elderly
• Currently no political desire to reduce sign numbers
• Popular tourist destination – signs are undoubtedly useful
• Cheaper alternatives being explored – possible web based solution with city centre wi-fi
• Actually signs are good value for money.
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Ian Mathie 1958 - 2013
