Bus Meister

Using information technology and social networking to reduce traffic congestion by improving public transport efficiency and attractiveness

Bus Meister uses Web 2.0 techniques (e.g. wikis, social networking and on-line games) to identify and test ideas for making existing public transport systems work better.

Bus Meister will consist of a game where real people learn about public transport operations and social networking tools to help them 'lobby' decision-makers to implement public transport improvements.

The latest proposal version is presented below. A more detailed proposal is available here: Bus Meister 19 July 2009 PDF)

A short version of the Bus Meister proposal is presented on the Livable Streets Initiative's StreetsWiki. Since it's a Wiki you can add comments and edit the proposal directly there.

Here's a presentation that describes Bus Meister in the context of Web 2.0 Applications for Transportation Planning (PDF). I gave this presentation at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg, Austria.

Finally, please contact me with comments and suggestions for improving Bus Meister.

Bus Meister

10 August 2009

Reducing congestion means identifying and implementing good ideas for building and operating transport systems. Bus Meister uses IT and social networking to involve users and stakeholders in that process - thus generating creative new ideas and helping develop the political support to implement these ideas.

Bus Meister starts with a game enabling users to test and understand how operating changes can improve service on their public transport routes. The game's foundation is a crowd sourced research database documenting best practices in public transport operations. Finally, Bus Meister helps get good ideas implemented by providing social networking tools to help users generate political support for improvements.

Bus Meister would initially focus on public transport priority measures. These are cost effective measures designed to increase public transport attractiveness by speeding-up buses, streetcars and trains. Public transport priority measures are excellent ways to reduce congestion because they are generally inexpensive and can be implemented quickly. Bus Meister would be a prototype; if it is successful it could be expanded for other modes of transport.

Bus Meister Development Plan

The first step in the Bus Meister project is to develop a computer game that accurately models public transport operations. Public transport planners will work closely with computer game designers in developing the game. Many game components are already available, they will simply need to be refined to make them more realistic. In parallel with game development a website would be created for the game. At this stage the game would essentially be educational: it would teach people how to improve public transport.

The second step in the project is to make it possible to evaluate real public transport routes using the game. In this step the game would also be improved based on user feedback from the first stage game. This step would include developing an improved user interface and increasing publicity for the game.

The third step in the project will be to develop the research database - wiki for public transport operations. This would be done as part of a typical academic research project and could be done in parallel with the previous steps.

The fourth step in the Bus Meister project is to expand and improve the game and database.

Bus Meister is outlined in more detail below and in the Bus Meister PDF.

Bus Meister Game

The Bus Meister game allows users to examine the impacts of public transport improvements on their own public transport routes. The game will both teach users about public transport operations and help them assess the value of their ideas.

First players enter information (e.g. travel time, location of bus lanes, etc.) about their public transport route into the game using an interfaces developed with Web 2.0 applications (e.g. Google Maps). Applications would be developed for smart phones to facilitate this process. Players would collaborate in creating these route maps. As more information is added, the maps will become quite accurate. (Public transport operators would be welcome to assist in this process.)

Once route information was on-line, players could test their improvement ideas by dragging improvement widgets on to the route map and the game would estimate the benefits and impacts. For example, the player could add traffic signal priority by dragging the "public transport priority signalization widget" onto the route map at the intersection.

The improvement widgets would be based on the research in the database (e.g. traffic signal priority reduces time spent at traffic signals by 20%). The game would apply data from the widget to the specific route (e.g. buses spend an average of 60 seconds waiting at this intersection) to estimate the benefit and impacts (e.g. on cross traffic).

Research Database

Bus Meister's foundation is a crowd sourced research database presenting information on best practices. Information is presented on three levels: detailed, technical overview wiki pages and public summary wiki pages.

At the detailed level, researchers and transport professionals (the "crowd") would enter information about their projects (abstract, contacts, links, etc.).

The technical overview wiki pages would focus on a single subject area (e.g. door opening and closing), researchers and professionals would edit these pages based on results of their projects. They will be encouraged to do this since these pages will provide good exposure for their work.

The public summary wiki pages would be created and maintained by system editors. These editors would be experts and would serve a function similar to editors of technical journals. They would develop non technical pages for a complete hierarchy of information.

Bus Meister and Social Networking

The goal of Bus Meister is to implement ideas that make public transport work better. Therefore, Bus Meister will create a platform and tools to support local and theme-based user groups.

Local users will typically be public transport advocates in specific regions. They would collaborate on identifying appropriate public transport improvements for routes in their region. These user groups would help encourage users to participate and remain active by providing forums for information sharing and ideas (e.g. 'tournaments' where group members compete to develop the most effective measures for a given line).

Local groups will also provide feedback to fellow users. A key problem with many internet-related applications is that people send a comment and never get any response. Since it would be impossible for public agencies to respond to all the ideas generated by users, local groups would need to evaluate ideas and only recommend the best ones for further study.

Local groups will also generate political support for improving public transport. Bus Meister would help by providing social networking tools as well as information on organizing for change. These tools are similar to those currently being used by the Livable Streets Initiative and SeeClickFix.

Finally, Bus Meister would include integrated interfaces to social networking applications. It is easy to see someone starting a Facebook group dedicated to improving a particular transit route with information from the latest Bus Meister game evaluations. These integrated social community systems will significantly increase the ability to generate political support for implementing public transport improvements.

Bus Meister's Professional Networking Component

Bus Meister's professional networking element will improve the understanding of public transport best practices and research quality.

Bus Meister will improve research quality by providing a single location for information; providing researchers with a real-time state-of-the-art summary that enables them to identify fruitful areas for research and providing them with an effective dissemination platform.

Research quality will also be improved through creation of a professional social networking community (e.g. using LinkedIn or another established professional networking application); public transport managers could use Bus Meister's professional network to contact researchers with questions about their research, and, in turn, researchers could ask professionals to evaluate the practicality of research ideas and/or to field test ideas on their public transport systems.

Finally, Bus Meister users (i.e. public transport customers) will generate some totally new ideas for improving public transport. These ideas will be fed into the professional forum discussions for evaluation. Promising ideas could then be taken-up for more detailed study. This type of customer-driven innovation is likely to develop ideas that professionals don't see because they are too close to the subject.

Developing and Implementing Bus Meister

The two main tasks in developing the Bus Meister application are creating the research database-wiki, and developing the game.

The research database-wiki would be developed using an open source application. It would not be complicated to develop, although it will take time to populate the database and to create the initial summary pages and organization. This could be done by completing a state-of-the-art survey, summarizing research results, entering data into the wiki, and appointing editors to manage the information.

Developing the Bus Meister game will be the most complex part of the project. Essentially it would be a mini public transport operations analysis model, thus transport analysts would need to work closely with computer game developers to create a useful and usable game. Since there are many transportation simulation games, talented game developers should be available for this effort. The process would include developing and testing several different versions of the game.

So, who ya gonna call?

Please contact me for more information.