Idaho Statesman [12/29/15]

Boise, ID –

ValleyRide’s new online “bus locator portal” will allow riders to use smart phones and other devices to view precisely where their bus is on its route.

In fact, an interactive map will show all the buses circulating on 26 routes throughout the Treasure Valley.

“As a small urban system, we are proud to bring cutting edge technologies typically installed in large urban systems to our riders,” Rhonda Jalbert, VRT Development Director, said in a press release Tuesday morning. “Technology is such a ubiquitous part of society now. Our riders want to be able to get travel information within seconds, right at their fingertips so they can plan their trip and their day.”

The bus locator portal software pulls GPS information on the buses and transmits it in real time.

Valley Regional Transit partnered with intelligent transportation system provider RouteMatch Software. The cost of the software was $27,500. The annual maintenance and support costs are free for the first year and about $9,400 for the second year.