As low temperatures in Fresno dip into the 30s this winter, Fresno youth will spend less time waiting in the cold for a city bus thanks to a new program launched in June, according to city CIO Carolyn Hogg.
BusTracker, a partnership between nonprofit kNOw Youth Media, the city technology department, and the transportation department, will soon offer a mobile website that bus riders can access on smartphones and keep track of when buses will arrive at stops, Hogg said. Students and project leaders will present the application at the Feb. 8 Government Mobility 2012 event in Sacramento.
"The students are excited because this is really their very first trade show," Hogg said. "They’re going to have a spot on the showroom floor in the solutions center."
Carolyn Hogg, CIO, City of Fresno
Students make up a majority of the Fresno Area Express, or FAX, ridership. The kNOw Youth Media project embraces students who are interested in community, and students concerned about the bus system contacted the city’s Department of Transportation, according to Hogg.
Currently, as part of the first phase of the project, FAX riders can submit reviews about their bus riding experiences through text messages, e-mails and ThekNOwfresno.org website. Reviews appear on the site on a map of the city, where readers can find out what other riders have experienced. The information is reported to Fresno Area Express and provided as a way for residents to communicate directly with the city.
“Phase one gave riders a voice to share their bus experiences through a map-based reporting system. For phase two of this project, The kNOw is partnering with the City of Fresno to make BusTracker even more useful to riders, allowing them to track routes and bus locations, which will help them plan their bus trips,” said project spokesperson Anna Jacobsen.
The second phase of the project will develop the mobile application, with students involved in and learning about the development of the technology and the process of city projects, Hogg said. In turn, the city, feeling the pinch of budget cuts, gets help from students developing technology that can benefit all city residents.
"We’re partnering with this nonprofit youth organization that is so interested in their community, but we’re also providing a method to improve transportation in this city," she said.
From the ThekNOwfresno.org website, here is a video on the first phase of the BusTracker project:
Why I Use BusTracker from The kNOw Youth Media on Vimeo.
