ITS and Rural Public Transportation Will Davis Will Davis Planning Director Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Authority Transportation Authority Sumter, S.C. Sumter, S.C.

GIS Applications to Rural Transit n Identification of demand n Synthesis of rural flexroute services

Flexroute: What is it? n Combination of fixed and paratransit services – Fixed route n Regular stops n Bus schedule – Paratransit n Curb to Curb services – Medicaid – Subscription service Voc Rehab Disabilities Board Council on Aging

Benefits of Flexroute n Creates a true rural public transportation system n Allows for regional coordination n Reduces overall transportation costs in a region or state – Economy of Scale n Technology

Next Step in ITS n Computerized scheduling and dispatching n Seamless data management – Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) n Real time fleet management – Automatic Vehicle Locators (AVL)

In Conclusion n GIS is an invaluable planning tool n Flexroute is an effective system with which to administer a coordinated system n Technology can reduce overhead and improve service