Skip to main content

Cubic to expand University of Maryland NextBus system

Cubic Transportation Systems has been awarded a US$1.1 million, five-year contract extension from the University of Maryland (UMD) to upgrade its bus fleet management system, which currently features approximately 80 buses. They all have NextBus hardware capabilities, including GPS-based trackers, driver control units and automatic vehicle location to inform passengers of the place and time of bus arrivals. Under the contract extension, Cubic will enhance UMD’s smart bus offering by providing features su
February 2, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
378 Cubic Transportation Systems has been awarded a US$1.1 million, five-year contract extension from the University of Maryland (UMD) to upgrade its bus fleet management system, which currently features approximately 80 buses. They all have NextBus hardware capabilities, including GPS-based trackers, driver control units and automatic vehicle location to inform passengers of the place and time of bus arrivals.

Under the contract extension, Cubic will enhance UMD’s smart bus offering by providing features such as automatic passenger counting, automatic voice announcement and turn-by-turn directions. The new technology will allow UMD’s transit staff to track passenger use in real time, through the use of automatic passenger counters, which enables the customer to gather data crucial for optimising operations and improving services.

NextBus’ automatic voice announcement system will use the vehicle’s public address system and onboard light-emitting diodes signs to announce upcoming stops, transfer points and custom messages from UMD’s transit staff. The turn-by-turn direction feature will act as the transit operators’ personal guide to help navigate UMD’s multiple shuttle routes and assist in the training process of new and prospective bus operators. The installation of this new system is expected to begin in February 2017.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New services and equipment helps cities tackle air quality issues
    September 19, 2017
    With poor urban air quality shortening lives and fines being imposed for breaching pollution limits, authorities are seeking ways to clean up their cities. Poor air quality is topping the agenda for city authorities across the globe. In the UK, for example, a report from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of Paediatrics and Child Health, concluded that poor outdoor air quality shortens the lives of around 40,000 people a year – principally by undermining the health of people with heart and/or lung prob
  • Cubic demonstrates integrated traffic management solutions
    July 31, 2015
    Cubic Transportation Systems, the leading integrator of payment and information solutions and related services for intelligent travel applications, will be demonstrating its full range of integrated solutions and services for the future of traffic management at the 2015 ITS World Congress. As the company points out, across the world, urban and regional transport networks face challenges that are set to intensify in the years ahead. Cubic said that these challenges can only be addressed with a truly holis
  • Ford Mobility: analytics aids transport proactivity
    April 2, 2020
    Ford Mobility has demonstrated how data analytics can help implement London's transport strategy in areas such as traffic re-timing and in eliminating all road fatalities (Vision Zero) by 2041.
  • Teletrac Navman and PTV Group integration to simplify route planning
    April 18, 2017
    US GPS tracking and fleet management solutions supplier Teletrac Navman has announced a partnership with PTV Group which will see its Director workflow solution combined with PTV’s Smartour trip optimisation system to provide route planning and optimisation for fleet managers. The integration through Teletrac Navman's open API offers carriers a single interface to optimise the list of stops drivers need to complete in a given time period, taking into account vehicle dimensions, load capacity, road restri