IT technology from PTV and HaCon provides directions for the Philadelphia region
Corvallis, OR, April 10 The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) successfully launched their new Itinerary Trip Planning System on their web site http://airs.septa.org on 28. February 2007. SEPTA, who is responsible for public transit in the Greater Philadelphia region, relies on HaCon and PTV and their respective technologies. With the new Internet based Trip Planner on the SEPTA web site, now comprehensive information about schedules, fares as well as detailed walking instructions and interactive maps can be accessed. The implemented software solution is unique in the USA, giving SEPTA a strong leadership role for their services.
At the customer portal, a user can enter origin and destination through multiple interfaces:
- a fault-tolerant address search
- a mouse click in an interactive online map or
- an interactive transit network map.
In addition, the system supports the usage of street numbers, cross streets, ZIP codes and township names. Landmarks or special locations like hotels or tourist attractions can also be easily accessed and visited, always supported by walking instructions, public transit itineraries and maps dynamically created by the new system.
The display of routes, maps and sidewalks is supplied by means of the
PTV xServer software. Sidewalks are shown within the street network and complemented by extensive walking instruction texts.
A new version of the Itinerary Trip Planner was also introduced to the SEPTA call center agents. In addition to the publicly available functions, this also web browser based application provides special support for the requirements of call center operations.
"Once again HaCon has performed in an excellent manner with the development and implementation of our new trip planning system (AIRS/TransitQuest)." said Ambrose F. Duckett Jr., Manager of Project Services at SEPTA "Even with a shortened time frame they came through for us in an excellent manner again. We could not be more pleased with our relationship with HaCon."
SEPTA
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA, http://www.septa.org) serves approx. 3.9 million people in the five-county metropolitan region of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. SEPTA has the fifth largest transit system in the United States, with 280 active stations, over 450 miles of track, 2,686 revenue vehicles, 196 routes, and about 306.9 million annual unlinked trips. Average weekday ridership across the system is about 1,000,000 passengers. SEPTA is one of only two truly multi-modal transit properties in the United States with bus, subway, high speed rail, trackless trolley, Regional Rail and Paratransit vehicles.
PTV America
PTV America is a multi-disciplinary transportation software and consulting firm. PTV America is comprised of two sectors within the PTV umbrella -- Traffic and Mobility. PTV America distributes traffic planning applications PTV Vision(R) software suite (VISSIM and VISUM) and provides technical support, software customization and training services for these products. PTV America also distributes mobility programs such as the PTV MobilityPlatform and the solution for offboard navigation, PTV NaviGuide, and offers technical support and consulting for these applications.
HaCon
HaCon has a permanent staff of over 90 experienced employees from fields like information technologies and transport planning. HaCon concentrates on the solution of the transport problems of today and tomorrow. Since the beginning HaCon has based its focus on the transport sector and has evolved to one of the leading companies when it comes to planning, disposition and information systems.
HaCon has designed and implemented the timetable information system of the German National Railway. In addition, the HAFAS timetable information system from HaCon is used by a large number of European railway and transport companies as well as public transit agencies (e.g. in Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Poland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the US).
HAFAS has also been developed as a universal information system that is also used in air- and cargo traffic.
