BRIEFING MEMO
AC TRANSIT DISTRICT Board of Directors Executive Summary
GM Memo No. 06-109a Meeting Date: May 31, 2006
Committees: Planning Committee External Affairs Committee
Finance Committee Operations Committee
Board of Directors
Financing Corporation
SUBJECT: Inform Board of Impending Wifi Installation on All MCI Transbay Buses RECOMMENDED ACTION: Information Only
Briefing Item
Recommended Motion
Fiscal Impact: None at this time. Cost of program will be funded through Alameda County Congestion Management Agency grant funds. Background/Discussion: Staff is developing a program to enable wireless internet connections on the District’s MCI fleet. As a result of this effort, passengers boarding any MCI bus will have access to a wireless connection for their commute. It is anticipated that the buses will be assigned to the longer distance Transbay bus lines. The wireless capability will be available for lines serving the Dumbarton, San Mateo and Bay Bridges.
BOARD ACTION:
Approved as Recommended [ ] Approved with Modification(s) [ ]
Other
[To be filled in by District Secretary after Board/Committee Meeting] The above order was passed on ____________________, 2006. Rose Martinez, District Secretary By
[ ]
GM Memo No. 06-109a Subject: Inform Board of Impending Wifi Installation on All MCI Transbay Buses Date: May 31, 2006 Page 2 of 4 Such a program will provide a significant competitive advantage over auto travel and BART usage, neither of which allows for internet connection and use. Equipment for “Wifi” is relatively simple, consisting of a router, an antenna, a power source and access to a wireless cellular network. This equipment can easily be installed and maintained by AC Transit Communications Technicians. Signal strength has been tested on the Bay Bridge, San Mateo Bridge and Dumbarton Bridge. The Operations Committee was briefed on the Wifi project on May 10. During that meeting, the Committee requested information on other transit properties presently offering Wifi, including system performance and customer response. This GM Memo provides the requested information. A wide variety of bus operators and rail systems have implemented on-board wireless internet access. Bus systems include: ¾ Cincinnati’s Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority: several Wifi-enabled buses currently in service, as part of a pilot project. ¾ Tampa’s Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority: equipping a portion of its new commute buses with Wifi connectivity. ¾ Riverside Transit Agency in Southern California: offering Wifi on its main commuter line for the past year, on MCI-type buses. ¾ Sound Transit and Community Transit: offering Wifi wireless internet access on commute routes into Seattle (2005-2006),as pilot programs. ¾ Cedar Rapids, Iowa: offering technology services, including wireless internet connections, on main trunk route for the past year. Within the Bay Area, both Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) trains, from Stockton to San Jose, and Capital Corridor trains between San Jose and Sacramento have been offering basic Wifi wireless internet connections since Fall 2003. Both operators are currently in the process of upgrading their systems, to expand coverage areas and provide more bandwidth. Finally, Google has been providing a Wifi connection for almost 2 years on the commuter bus service they operate for their employees, between San Francisco and Mountain View. Experience so far has been positive. The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) reports a very positive response; 23 percent of its commuter line passengers report using wireless laptops while on the route, with a satisfaction rate of very good to
GM Memo No. 06-109a Subject: Inform Board of Impending Wifi Installation on All MCI Transbay Buses Date: May 31, 2006 Page 3 of 4 excellent. More important, there have been no complaints about the service. RTA indicated that in certain areas, such as under freeway structures, service might slow but would not be interrupted. Riverside utilizes Cingular as its network provider, the same provider that staff is exploring. Sound Transit, serving the Seattle region, is following the Riverside model, utilizing the same consultants and equipment on commuter buses serving the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington. Sound indicates they are about to expand their program, an indicator of the success of the initial pilot program. ACE commuter trains here in the Bay Area have been offering Wifi on their forward passenger cars, and they report that passengers love the service. Wifi is listed as #1 under “Amenities” on their website. Two issues the system is dealing with are 1) a “dead spot” within the Niles Canyon tunnel, which is being wired for cellular service; and 2) lack of adequate service speed, which is also being addressed by upgrading the system. In sum, wireless internet connections appear to be enthusiastically received by transit users, and transit properties are expanding their programs and improving access for their customers. Wireless internet access will allow AC Transit riders to review and answer email, access the internet, and generally get an early start on their workday. Existing Transbay riders were surveyed via email for their interest in such a service. The response was exceptional in terms of both volume (almost 30 per cent of those polled responded to the survey), and support. Respondents overwhelmingly and enthusiastically supported the concept of having the option of a wireless connection for their bus commute. While the initial users of the service are expected to be existing riders, staff anticipates that the option for a Wifi ride will attract new riders to long-distance Transbay lines. Accordingly, an extensive marketing program is planned, using data from license plate surveys to pinpoint likely riders. Marketing efforts will include toll booth banners, advertising on Yahoo and Google-type sites, discounts on wireless laptop equipment, and targeted mailings, including limited free rides. This program promises to be extremely cost efficient. Monthly access charges are about $70; a single new rider per bus, attracted to this service, would pay $116 for a monthly Transbay pass. While we anticipate substantial ridership increases as a result of this program, even a small response would be beneficial to AC Transit. Prior Relevant Board Actions/Policies: None.
GM Memo No. 06-109a Subject: Inform Board of Impending Wifi Installation on All MCI Transbay Buses Date: May 31, 2006 Page 4 of 4
Approved by:
Rick Fernandez, General Manager Nancy Skowbo, Deputy General Manager, Service Development
Prepared by:
Jon Twichell, Transportation Planning Manager
Date Prepared:
April 26, 2006, May 24, 2006 (?)
