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I have spoken to SFMTA staff about this as well. There are a few more details, mostly that this whole problem started when the agency tried to save $1M in thei
by pdx6 10y ago
I have spoken to SFMTA staff about this as well.
There are a few more details, mostly that this whole problem started when the agency tried to save $1M in their IT budget.
This is what happens when an org focuses on giving away free rides instead of running their business. Free rides for youth and seniors, formally subsidized by Google, cut into budgets like this that impact the entire system. IIRC it is a $10M+ budget item.
I would say paying the $1M for the upgrades up front would have been a better insurance policy; having NB down for 6-8 weeks is not only embarrassing but unacceptable.
The real time arrival system is out for bid now. One of the requirements is to allow riders to know how full the next vehicle is(!).
- bifrost 10y agoSFMTA needs to have someone come in and roust the people that did this. I mean, I'm frankly amazed 2G has worked in the last 4-5 years much less since 2012. Upgrading to a 3G modem which is likely already obsolete is kinda ridiculous.
- pdx6 10y agoAlso consider that, since this was an emergency fix that applied to vehicles, every single one of the 600+ fleet has to be retrofitted. That's a massive amount of rush labor and gear.