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Development and implementation of an automatic passenger counter system at a small transit company

Automatic Passenger Counter (APC) systems can be very powerful tools for helping transit managers make important decisions about transit operations. Compared to the traditional method of manual data collection, they are a definite improvement. Not only can they collect data tirelessly for days at a time for far less cost, but they also provide very accurate information about the time and distance at which passenger activities occur. This information can be quickly processed into meaningful reports using specially developed software, reducing data turnaround time from months to minutes.

This thesis describes the development and installation of an APC system for Valley Metro of Roanoke, Virginia. The research was carried out by the Departments of Civil and Electrical Engineering at Virginia Tech with funding provided by the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation. The result is an integrated system of equipment, software, and operating techniques which will greatly improve the flow of information at Valley Metro, allowing management the time and resources to do more planning and less paperwork. The work is significant for the following reasons:

The software is easy to learn and use and can be run on inexpensive personal computers.

The project demonstrates that APC systems are feasible for small transit companies, and that accurate location referencing can be achieved without signposts.

The system could be applied at other small transit companies with very little modification required.

The following chapters describe the project, including the experiences (both good and bad) and insights gained along the way. / M.S.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/109223
Date January 1986
CreatorsAnderson, Paul P.
ContributorsCivil Engineering
PublisherVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Source SetsVirginia Tech Theses and Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis, Text
Formatxiii, 216 leaves, application/pdf, application/pdf
RightsIn Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
RelationOCLC# 15183177

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