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NEXTBUS Launches to Enhance UH Shuttle Service
 NextBus, a
new service for UH shuttles offers
real-time arrival predictions which
enable the community to know the
exact time their desired bus will
arrive at their stop.
Instead of posting static time
schedules, which are inevitably
altered by varying traffic
congestion, numbers of riders
entering or exiting buses and other
external factors, NextBus offers
real-time predictions of the buses’
arrivals.
“Having real-time arrival times at
their finger tips will empower our
passengers and improve their
ridership experience,” said Bob
Browand, Director of Parking and
Transportation.
This live feed, which utilizes GPS
satellites and intricate computer
technology, is updated regularly.
Riders can access this information
from the comfort of their own home
or even at the stop itself by using
the web, internet-enabled wireless
phones and PDAs, or cell phones.
To find out the next three arrival
times of buses at a particular stop,
commuters need only select the
desired route and stop from the drop
down menu on the UH NextBus page.
Three live-time predictions will
automatically display, with a
message such as, “Next vehicles for
route Robertson Line – Red Route in:
1 minute… 2 minutes…9 minutes”.
Even if internet service is not
available, riders can receive
NextBus information using cell
phones, with a brief phone call or
even a text message.
By calling 832-308-3116, riders can
select the number of their stop to
receive the estimated arrival times
for the next 2 buses. Stop numbers
are provided at the following link:
http://www.nextbus.com/wirelessConfig/stopNumbers.jsp?a=uhouston
Riders can also obtain arrival
predictions by sending an SMS text
message to the number 41411, and can
even request a text alert to be sent
to their phone when their desired
bus is a specified number of minutes
(between 0 and 30) away from the
stop.
Links are also provided on the
NextBus page for the bus schedule, a
Google map, and a live map to show
the routes.
UH encourages riders to swipe their
Cougar ID cards when entering the
buses, as this will provide
ridership tracking information which
is essential to improving this
service over time. Commuters should
be aware that no charge is taken
with this swipe.
“The array of management reports
available will help us optimize our
transit operations and provide
improved customer service to our
passengers,” said Browand.
As expressed on their site, “NextBus
overcomes the single greatest
barrier to the use of mass transit —
unnecessary waiting.” Now, commuters
can know for sure whether they have
time to run errands in a local
store, finish composing an e-mail,
or grab a cup of coffee without
missing their ride.
UH hopes that students, faculty and
staff will take advantage of this
revolutionary service for the
tremendous ease and convenience it
offers commuters on campus.
Visit
www.uh.edu/parking for
more information about campus
transportation and NextBus links.
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