PennDOT announces installation of nation's first real-time transit tracking service

(WJET/WFXP)-- PennDOT announced Wednesday that they've finished installing a first-of-its-kind tracking system for public transit at 33 different Pennsylvania stations, which began in March 2018.

Known as the Fixed Route Intelligent Transportation System (FRITS), the system will give passengers real-time service information so they can see exactly how far away their bus is and when it's estimated to arrive across 41 PA counties with the routes being certified by Google Maps.

Passengers will have access to the information for different agencies on the myStop app on their smartphones or tablets and can also use Google Maps to plan routes accurately.

The FRITS Project first started in March 2018 with a $32.6 million pricetag and will cover all corners of the Commonwealth save for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority and Pittsburgh Regional Transit which have their own respective systems.

“Every transit agency, regardless of size or budget or whether they’re in an urban or rural location, deserves access to technology that can help them better serve their customers,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “By implementing this technology statewide, transit users in all corners of Pennsylvania will benefit and more Pennsylvanians will reach their destinations on time and safely.”

As an example, PennDOT said a passenger in Lemont Furnace who needs to travel to Greensburg can use myStop and view information for both Fayette Area Coordinated Transit and Westmoreland County Transit to identify which routes to use, where the bus is currently located, and easily plan their route.

Travel agencies will also be able to use the same information for their vehicles' location, automatically count passengers boarding or leaving vehicles, and provide a statewide reporting database, something two transportation officials said will help them improve their services.

“From a daily operations and dispatch standpoint, FRITS gives us the ability to track and manage our entire fleet in real-time,” said David Richards, General Manager of the New Castle Area Transit Authority. “It gives us the opportunity to view our buses, assess driver and route performance, reduce the chance of missed stops and improve our schedule.”

"In early 2019, Pocono Pony implemented the FRITS project, which delivered critical safety and security upgrades,” said Rich Schlameuss, Chief Executive Officer of Monroe County Transportation Authority. “This project also provided the game-changing ability to track ridership down to the stop level. This passenger usage data allows MCTA to plan more effective future service."