Orbital Sciences Corporation [NYSE: ORB] and their Transportation Management Systems (TMS) division have been awarded a $15 million contract with the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) of Rochester, New York. The company will develop an integrated public transit fleet management system for more than 300 vehicles. The Orbital system will allow for complete information sharing between the RGRTA’s business systems, customers and fixed- and paratransit-route services.
RGRTA will receive Orbital’s latest Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system, known as OrbCAD XP, as well as a new Operations Management module. These automated tools will help RGRTA improve the effectiveness of its Regional Transit Service, Inc. (RTS) fixed-route bus service and its Lift Line, Inc. paratransit service. The Operations Management tool will close the loop between planning and real-time operations and improve resource use and responsiveness to customer feedback. Orbital will supply RGRTA with an integrated suite of real-time analytical tools to assist in overall operations management of the 250-vehicle fixed route fleet, as well as the 52 paratransit and 14 supervisory and support vehicles.
Orbital will supply its OrbStar Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) in both RGRTA’s RTS fixed-route vehicles as well as in the Lift Line paratransit vehicles. The color-display MDTs will provide detailed turn-by-turn navigational directions, along with updated, real-time manifests to Lift Line operators. As adjustments are made to passenger pick-up and drop-off times throughout the service day, the Lift Line service will be able to more effectively respond to real time route and customer travel patterns. In addition, Orbital’s advanced vehicle equipment suite will allow for the implementation of new features such as farebox integration, video surveillance and on-board announcements. Vehicle performance and location information is also captured to enable traveler information to be distributed to the public via the RGRTA website and the Orbital-provided SmartTraveler information signs located at bus stops and transit centers—Dulles, Virginia


