REPORT

To:       Debbie Van Saun

Asst. City Manager

From:  Karin Rexroad

            Public Transit Administrator

Date:   July 13, 2004

In February 2004, 13 Talon devices developed by Kantronics were installed in the transit system’s paratransit vehicles.  The Talon captures data such as the speed of the vehicle, the direction it is moving, when a door is open, and when an engine begins to overheat.  The data is then sent by radio waves to another device which puts the information on a computer.

The pilot project has met with mixed results.    At this time the system is somewhat unreliable when it comes to correctly identifying the locations of the vehicles.  In discussion with Kantronics, it was determined that the current placement of the antenna on our vehicles doesn’t allow for continuous satellite contact.  Therefore the signal is constantly searching for a satellite and doesn’t update to the screen as frequently as needed for oversight.  We are bringing five new paratransit vehicles on line and will explore re-positioning the antennas in order to facilitate better feedback from the satellites.  

In reviewing speed and location of a bus at the time of an accident, there was a problem with determining the exact location of the vehicle on the system. This is attributable to either the antenna location or to a problem mapping the latitude/longitude to the map.  Kantronics is currently reviewing the mapping issue. 

The Lawrence Transit System has found the Talon to be an asset and hopes to continue working with Kantronics.  With additional training on all the features, this system could be extremely valuable to the transit system.  This system has the capability to track vehicle location and speed in the event of accident which would assist staff in accident investigation and risk management.    In addition, the system could assist with the location of vehicles in the event of emergencies, whether a specific vehicle that is not responding, or multiple vehicles on a broader-based emergency.