Wolf Administration Project to Improve Operations, Customer Service at 32 Transit Systems while Adding Jobs at Pennsylvania Company

Wolf Administration Project to Improve Operations, Customer Service at 32
Transit Systems while Adding Jobs at Pennsylvania Company

3/1/2018-KING OF PRUSSIA

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) held an event today
to
announce it has chosen Avail Technologies, Inc. of State College, Pa. to
implement a Fixed Route Intelligent Transportation System (FRITS) for 32
transit systems that will offer real-time service information for
passengers,
flexible fare payment options, and enhanced transit planning.

The company currently employs 92 people, 81 of whom work at the State
College
headquarters, and anticipates a 10 to 20 percent staff increase because of
this
and other recent contracts.

"We are using data to improve our operations and customer service
throughout
the department, and we're excited to expand our efforts in improving
transit
services," PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said of the event. "This
project will enhance transit agencies' data collection and reporting while
improving communications with staff and customers."

In addition to the service improvements that customers will see, the
enhancements will assist with monitoring vehicles' condition, automatically

count passengers boarding or leaving vehicles, and provide a statewide
reporting database for the department and transit agencies.

"The way that people use and interact with transportation services is
changing,
and that includes public transportation," PennDOT Deputy Secretary for
Multimodal Transportation Toby Fauver said at the event. "Better data and
technology ultimately improves efficiency and meets customer needs."

The nearly $35.7 million, five-year project will begin this spring and
installation is estimated to occur over three years. The Southeastern
Pennsylvania Transit Authority and Port Authority of Allegheny County are
not
included in the project because of their significant time and resources
invested in their own similar systems.

"Avail is thrilled to be working with PennDOT and our state transit
agencies to
deploy the nation's first statewide Fixed Route Intelligent Transportation
System solution, which will create a common technology platform across all
agencies to facilitate new operational standards and a level of operational

data analysis that has never been seen before," said Avail Technologies,
Inc.
President and CEO Dorsey E. Houtz. "The FRITS project will be watched very
closely by other states and again, Avail is thrilled to be on the team that

will make PA the nation's shining star of technology adoption in fixed
route
transit."

Public transportation is available in some form in every Pennsylvania
county.
To see available services, visit www.penndot.gov in the "Public Transit
Options" section of "Travel In PA."

With nearly two decades of nationwide experience serving the transit
industry,
Avail Technologies is pioneering total transit solutions and offers
products
for CAD/AVL, Passenger Information Systems, Finance Management, Payroll
Processing, Human Resources, Inventory Management, Maintenance, Asset
Management, Procurement Management, Operations, Planning/Scheduling,
Statistical Reporting Management, as well as federal, state and National
Transit Database (NTD) reporting. The company also has an office in Las
Vegas,
Nev.

To view a complete list of District 6 News Releases: Click
http://www.penndot.gov/RegionalOffices/district-6/Pages/allnews.aspx

To unsubscribe click
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/penndot/districts/district6/d6media.nsf/unsubscribeform?OpenForm