SporTran Transit will enhance their current System
Technology Upgrade Project with $1,077,856 in newly-awarded FTA grant
dollars. The agency was one of four urban transit providers in Louisiana to
receive allocated funds from the Louisiana FFY 2024 Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) Rural Section 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities Program.
“With the addition of SporTran City, our new vehicle and passenger tech
from Avail Technologies, news shelters and Gillig buses, and construction
starting soon on our new EV maintenance facility, we’re advancing our goal
of modernizing local public transit,” states Dinero’ Washington, SporTran
CEO. “This week, we were thrilled to learn we’ve been awarded additional
funding, allowing us to broaden the scope of our Operational Control Center,
improve communications for our staff and riders, and strengthen safety
protocols.”
PROJECTS SUPPORTED BY GRANT
Dispatch & Operational Control Center Technology
The Dispatch and Operational Control Center (DOCC), located inside
SporTran City, is SporTran’s central point of communication. The DOCC will
allow SporTran employees to follow live transit routes, view video of bus
stops, monitor overcrowding and traffic around vehicles, and watch incidents
in real-time. The center enables all bus and rail dispatchers to seamlessly
deliver service to our customers and respond to service disruptions.
Passenger Terminal Real-Time Arrival Screens
In September 2024, SporTran awarded a contract for a new “Find My
Bus” system to Avail Technologies. Unable to fund the “upgraded
terminal technology screen” option at that time, SporTran will use the
grant funding awarded this week to implement a complete upgrade that
includes a modern, future-proofed display solution to replace the single-
digit LED products that currently adorn SporTran’s terminal.
Passenger Bus Shelter Real-Time E-Paper Signs
In June 2024, SporTran awarded a contract for 125 new bus shelters, to
be placed system-wide, to Tolar Manufacturing. With the additional new
grant dollars, SporTran will add solar-powered E-Paper displays to the
shelters. E-paper displays were developed to improve the passenger
experience at bus stops, providing real-time passenger information for
transit riders. The E-Paper solution will offer a future-proof replacement for
legacy traditional paper timetables while delivering the ideal technology
platform for intelligent real-time city public transit information solutions.
Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3 phone for VOiP (Supervisor and Vehicle
Radio)
SporTran will transition to Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3 phones as the primary
method of radio communications for supervisors, managers, directors, and
paratransit vehicles. As part of their new “Find My Bus” system from Avail
Technologies, a VOiP system will be implemented for our fixed-route
buses.