Inside the depot, that data passes to the Remote Island Head, which then relies on a separate Digi XBee cellular modem to send data through the cloud to our servers.
“Each of our on-board data loggers uses a Digi XBee 3 Zigbee 3 RF embedded module that connects via 2.4 GHz to transmit and receive data. “We’ve standardized on a range of connectivity solutions from Digi,” he said. In addition to diesel and gasoline, the Remote Island Head can interface with CNG, LNG, and other alternative fuel dispensers.Ĭonnectivity Keeps MBTA Public Transit MovingĪccording to John Elliott, vice president of technology for S&A Systems, these highly synchronized processes rely on timely data collection and sharing. At the MBTA depot, that bus is immediately identified when it pulls in, and data is shared between the bus and a Remote Island Head that controls and monitors valves, pulsers, data receivers, and vehicle detectors to automatically count and compile servicing records. The MBTA can then use this data to track operations and maintenance, generate dozens of standard reports, or automatically pass it along to a VMS system in real time or at specific times of the day.įleetwatch installations feature a data logger on each vehicle that captures sensor data from the bus (fuel consumption, fare collections, and more) as well as mileage. So, how does the MBTA keep close tabs on some of its most valuable and mobile assets? It has adopted S&A Systems’ Fleetwatch, a powerful hardware/software solution providing reliable and accurate, real-time control and data acquisition for vehicles, employees, fuel/fluids, and tank monitor systems. That translates into a vast range of managerial and logistical challenges related to operating and maintaining those vehicles across 13 different depots housing anywhere from six to 200 vehicles each.Įach day, MBTA’s operations team must refuel, clean, inspect, and periodically maintain those buses in an organized, methodical, and documented way to ensure asset longevity, cost-effectiveness, legal compliance, and driver/passenger safety. In Greater Boston, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), one of the world’s largest and longest-running transit agencies, operates a fleet of more than 1,000 buses that provide vital transportation to more than 400,000 passengers on 170 separate routes that reach 44 cities and towns 1. The Complexity of Managing Public Transit Wireless Digi XBee® communication modules and gateways and Digi Remote Manager® play crucial roles in making it all happen. With Fleetwatch, those buses - as well as paratransit and support vehicles - are carefully monitored with a sophisticated hardware/software system that tracks everything from fuel consumption to miles driven, maintenance alerts, vehicle locations, fare box data and more. Every day, tens of thousands of buses log tens of millions of passenger miles in transit systems across the U.S.
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