LAVTA Service Improvements: Hold That Green and Real-Time Arrival Messages

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Service on Wheels Route 10 will get a little speedier in January 2011 with the roll-out of TSP, transit signal priority, the high-tech sensor system that holds the green light when a bus is approaching an intersection.

Based on the same technology that keeps traffic lights green for emergency vehicles, but one step lower in priority, TSP on Route 10 is expected to shave approximately 20 percent off a rider's travel time, according to Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) Planning Director Jeff Flynn.

"Route 10 carries half our riders, and we wanted to improve service for them," Flynn says. "Every stop light along the route will have signal priority, so when the sensor sees the bus coming and the light is about to turn yellow, it will hold the green to get it through the intersection." There will even be time for the car behind the bus to get through the green light, he points out, so, in an interesting change-up, "now more drivers will want to follow the bus."

Route 10 runs from Stoneridge Mall to the BART station, then through the business park to downtown Pleasanton and east into Livermore. Buses make eight stops in Hacienda, many of them along Owens Drive, serving major employers like Kaiser, Oracle, Walmart, Carr America, and ValleyCare Medical Center. During commute times, from 6:30 to 9:30 in the morning and 4:00 to 7:00 in the afternoon, buses run at 15 minute intervals, with a half-hour between service the rest of the day.

Another LAVTA service improvement for Hacienda passengers is the installation of LED message panels providing real-time updates on bus arrivals at six key stops in the park. The new digital signs let people walking up to a stop know how far away the bus is and when it will be pulling in, obviously increasing riders' comfort level, Flynn explains.

The designated stops are at Hopyard Road and Stoneridge Drive, Hopyard Road and W. Las Positas Boulevard, on the north and south sides of Owens and Hacienda Drives, at Owens Drive south of Rosewood Drive, and in front of Valley Care Medical Center.

The new message panels supplement the WebWatch feature on the LAVTA website wheelsbus.com, allowing users to select any stop in the system to view exactly when the next bus arrives. Much like checking flight status online, riders can use this capability to minimize the time they spend actually waiting outside.

Flynn also notes that all Hacienda employees and residents are eligible for free Wheels ECO Passes. For more information, select the Commute Solutions option from the Services menu at www.hacienda.org or call (925) 734-6500.

Also in this issue...