RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION IMPROVING MASS TRANSIT OPERATIONS AND PASSENGER INFORMATION

A trip from New Jersey's Newark International Airport, through the Lincoln Tunnel in New York, through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), then on to Seattle before heading to Ottawa, Ontario, would be a taxing journey for even the most seasoned traveler. Fortunately, with the help of wireless communications technology, this trip is easier for travelers using public transportation. A wireless communications system using radio frequency identification (RFID) has been implemented for use by mass transit vehicles in all of these locations. Terminal operators at Newark's International Airport use data gathered from an RFID-based system installed on its people mover network to develop better schedules and improve efficiency of the system. Buses equipped with special tags speed through the Lincoln Tunnel in the opposite direction of the busy commuter toll lanes. A commercial traffic monitoring system at LAX has reduced congestion 20 percent while increasing revenue collections more than 200 percent even though the per trip rate was reduced. Seattle and Ottawa have also implemented RFID-based systems to keep buses on schedule and provide accurate, real-time information to passengers. These mass transit vehicles once lined up with other traffic waiting to pay a toll or waiting for a light to change. With the implementation of RFID, the vehicles now travel through toll booths without stopping, and traffic lights change automatically when needed to keep the vehicles on schedule. RFID technology can be used to monitor traffic patterns, perfect inventory management, improve scheduling and routing, and reduce travel times. RFID-based systems deliver data communications and applications to increase efficiency for every aspect of mass transportation.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Five volumes of papers and one volume of abstracts comprise the published set of conference materials.
• Corporate Authors:

  VERTIS

  TORANOMOM 34 MORI BUILDING 1-25-5
  TORANOMON, MINATOKU, TOKYO 105  Japan 
• Authors:
  • Melzer, C D
• Conference:
  • Steps Forward. Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress
  • Location: Yokohama, Japan
  • Date: 1995-11-9 to 1995-11-11
• Publication Date: 1995-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 975

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Communication and control; Economic efficiency; Identification systems; Intelligent transportation systems; Passenger information systems; Public transit; Radio signals; Routing; Scheduling
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Economics; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00722023
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Volume 2
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 23 1996 12:00AM