The COVID-19 pandemic turned crowding into a priority for transit agencies overnight: essential workers and vulnerable communities continue to depend on buses and trains in a time of unprecedented personal and global anxiety.

After the pandemic began, the MBTA in Boston was quickly able to launch real-time crowding data for its bus riders, becoming the largest transit agency in the country to make this kind of information available on local buses. Logan Nash from the MBTA will talk about the user research, technology, and frustrations of making crowding information available to riders (and front-line operations staff) on a very short timeline.

LA Metro will share how new data and technologies are being used to guide operational decisions to reduce crowding system-wide and increase safety for riders and operators.

About Logan Nash

Logan Nash is the Deputy Director of Realtime Applications at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston. As part of the MBTA’s Customer Technology Department, Logan’s team is responsible for real-time information and associated operations tools such as Skate, the MBTA’s mobile bus dispatch app. Arrival predictions, real-time locations, and other info from these systems drive modern rider tools like mbta.com and digital screens, as well as third-party apps via the agency’s open APIs.

About Conan Cheung

Conan Cheung serves as Senior Executive Officer – Service Development at Metro. He is responsible for bus and rail service changes, systemwide service policies, and performance analysis including ridership trends. Prior to Metro, he was Director of Planning and Scheduling with San Diego MTS, and worked for transportation planning organizations in the SF Bay Area.  Mr. Cheung received his BS in Urban Planning and Public Administration from the USC and MA in Urban Planning from UCLA.

Agenda

• 8:00am - Doors Open
• 8:30am - Networking
• 9:00am - Speaker Presentations
• 10:00am - End

Location

Virtual Webinar - RSVP for link