California Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH)’s research is featured in the new Harnessing Innovation for Public Transportation: FTA’s Research Program video, which explores underpinning every successful innovation is research to ensure new ideas work and are worth the investment. Through testing and deployment, the Federal Transit Administration’s Research, Demonstration and Innovation program helps the transit industry adopt tried-and-proven
The video features PATH’s work with Caltrans on vehicle assist and automation using buses. This resulted from a $1.9 million grant from the FTA and DOT to demonstrate VAA technologies to improve the safety and performance of 60-foot articulated buses in rapid transit. Evaluation of the technology — using magnetic markers and global positioning software — found that it better centers the bus in narrow busways and guides safe and consistent docking at station platforms. Bus operators reported that the system reduces driver stress. Completed in 2015, PATH went on to help implement the bus automation system to a mile of Lane Transit District’s Emerald Express BRT route in Eugene, Oregon.