This development/demonstration project is funded by a $199,500 grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.  The project will focus on the development, testing and demonstration of software to operate a simple, inexpensive, and easily configurable AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) system for providing real-time bus departure information to passengers riding suburban bus routes. The name MARTHA refers to the software, which is a Multi-User Application of a Real-Time Harmonic Algorithm.  This algorithm analyzes current and past location data to determine how long it will take a bus to reach a selected bus stop.  The MARTHA system utilizes inexpensive, proven technologies such as GPS-enabled cell phones, desktop computers, and interactive voice response systems.  The MARTHA system will require a capital investment of approximately $100 per vehicle, with a monthly operating cost of approximately $10 per vehicle. There will also be a cost of approximately $125 per month for the Interactive Voice Response System that delivers the arrival information to customers.  The MARTHA system will be demonstrated on the City of Falls Church GEORGE bus system starting in the summer of 2007.

Please contact Adam McGavock at (703) 524-3322 ext. 110 for more information.