Board 267: Enhancing Urban Mobility: SmartSAT's Impact on Public Transportation Services and Commuting Experience

Jeong Yang; Young Lee; Mohammad Abdel-Rahman; Zechun Cao

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/46840

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Paper Authors

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Jeong Yang Texas A&M University, San Antonio orcid.org/0000-0002-3819-3544

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Dr. Jeong Yang is an associate professor of computer science and cyber security in the Department of Computational, Engineering, and Mathematical Sciences at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. She is also a director of the Center of Information Technology and Cyber Security. Her current research is focused on the areas: 1) Intelligent applications of cloud-based AI services to discover effective use of AI technologies, 2) AI-powered secure data sharing and performance-usability analysis among different cloud service providers, 3) Software supply chain security utilizing a static analysis framework, and 4) Development of Cyber Security Modules with their implementations and evaluations. Her research also focuses on computer science, cybersecurity, and AI education, including the participation of women in the fields.

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Young Lee Texas A&M University, San Antonio

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Associate Professor, Computer Science
The Department of Computational, Engineering, and Mathematical Sciences

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Mohammad Abdel-Rahman Texas A&M University, San Antonio

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Mohammad Abdel-Rahman (Al-Ramahi) is an Assistant Professor of CIS at Texas A&M-San Antonio/Department of Computing and Cybersecurity. Before joining Texas A&M, he was working as an Assistant Professor of Informatics and CIS at Indiana University East/School of business and economics. Dr. Al-Ramahi has received his doctoral degree in Information Systems from Dakota State University/College of Business and Information Systems (BIS) in 2017. His specialization is Knowledge Management and Decision Support Systems. His research interests are in data analytics and its applications in various areas, and Information Systems design. He has published in refereed journals such as ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems (TMIS), ACM Transactions on Social Computing (TSC) and Journal of Information Science and has presented his research at a number of highly reputed peer-reviewed Information Systems conferences such as ACM SIGMIS, ICIS, WITS, HICSS and AMCIS. He is a member of the Association for Information Systems (AIS).

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Zechun Cao Texas A&M University, San Antonio orcid.org/0000-0002-4542-7791

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Zechun Cao received his master's and Ph.D. degrees in computer science from the University of Houston. His research lies at the intersection of cybersecurity, privacy, and artificial intelligence (AI). His doctoral thesis centers around developing network and host intrusion detection methods leveraged by intelligent user behavior recognition. He also collaborates with economists and city planners on devising AI algorithms that result in long-lasting real-world impact. More recently, he has been passionate about designing algorithms and tools to keep users' private confidential data secure in an AI-driven world. Dr. Cao's work has been published in international conferences and journals. He is a member of ACM and IEEE and has served as a TPC member and reviewer for various journals and international conferences.

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Abstract

Public transportation connects individuals to places for jobs, education, health, and various social and economic opportunities they need. In recent years, smartphones have emerged as integral tools in people’s daily lives, and their applications have significantly transformed how individuals interact with public transportation services. The demand for mobility services on smartphone applications has also been increasing in urban areas, to enhance the quality of transportation services. However, many transit systems still rely on outdated technologies or third-party software, limiting their flexibility and customizability. The demographics of VIA’s bus system in San Antonio (SA), TX, indicate the importance of public transportation for communities with limited incomes and no access to personal vehicles, particularly Hispanic or Latino residents living below the poverty line. SmartSAT is piloting a customizable mobile web application to address these challenges by providing real-time bus arrivals, seat capacity information, service change or update alerts, and a mechanism for riders to provide feedback on their experiences. It is designed to enhance public transportation services and improve the commuting experience for a diverse group of riders in the city of San Antonio.

Two research studies were conducted to assess the impact of SmartSAT: a study on the analysis and evaluation of actual bus arrival times and a study on the commute experience of riders. From the data collected in field tests on piloting routes, the first study focused on the analysis of the difference between VIA’s scheduled and actual bus arrival times. The findings indicated that certain routes exhibited very low average differences between their actual and scheduled arrival times, while a couple displayed a big average difference that showed significant delays and deviations from the scheduled timetable. Furthermore, some routes experienced small average delays in the afternoon, but the delays significantly increased in the evening. The rider experience study was focused on understanding the experiences of bus riders in public transportation, from collecting data on experiences with bus use, such as transfers, wait times, and perceptions of bus arrival times. The study found that there is a differential in the feelings of access to the city’s public transit system held by poor, working-class, and Latinx communities in SA.

The intended outcome of the developed SmartSAT on the arrival time accuracy research is a more accurate prediction of bus arrival time on the routes. Findings can guide us on traffic management as predictable and reliable transit service can improve rider satisfaction and overall ridership. More accurate time scheduling on the routes will help riders handle the unreliability of transit services and reduce the time spent waiting for buses (especially delayed ones). The impact on the commune experience in social sciences is important as it allows for an understanding of how underserved and underrepresented communities in SA experience a crucial component of urban space, public transit. This will be especially beneficial for low-income individuals who heavily rely on public buses to commute to their jobs and educations in SA.

Citation
Format

Yang, J., & Lee, Y., & Abdel-Rahman, M., & Cao, Z. (2024, June), Board 267: Enhancing Urban Mobility: SmartSAT's Impact on Public Transportation Services and Commuting Experience Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://strategy.asee.org/46840

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Public transportation connects individuals to places for jobs, education, health, and various social and economic opportunities they need. In recent years, smartphones have emerged as integral tools in people’s daily lives, and their applications have significantly transformed how individuals interact with public transportation services. The demand for mobility services on smartphone applications has also been increasing in urban areas, to enhance the quality of transportation services. However, many transit systems still rely on outdated technologies or third-party software, limiting their flexibility and customizability. The demographics of VIA’s bus system in San Antonio (SA), TX, indicate the importance of public transportation for communities with limited incomes and no access to personal vehicles, particularly Hispanic or Latino residents living below the poverty line. SmartSAT is piloting a customizable mobile web application to address these challenges by providing real-time bus arrivals, seat capacity information, service change or update alerts, and a mechanism for riders to provide feedback on their experiences. It is designed to enhance public transportation services and improve the commuting experience for a diverse group of riders in the city of San Antonio. 

Two research studies were conducted to assess the impact of SmartSAT: a study on the analysis and evaluation of actual bus arrival times and a study on the commute experience of riders.  From the data collected in field tests on piloting routes, the first study focused on the analysis of the difference between VIA’s scheduled and actual bus arrival times. The findings indicated that certain routes exhibited very low average differences between their actual and scheduled arrival times, while a couple displayed a big average difference that showed significant delays and deviations from the scheduled timetable. Furthermore, some routes experienced small average delays in the afternoon, but the delays significantly increased in the evening. The rider experience study was focused on understanding the experiences of bus riders in public transportation, from collecting data on experiences with bus use, such as transfers, wait times, and perceptions of bus arrival times. The study found that there is a differential in the feelings of access to the city’s public transit system held by poor, working-class, and Latinx communities in SA.  

The intended outcome of the developed SmartSAT on the arrival time accuracy research is a more accurate prediction of bus arrival time on the routes. Findings can guide us on traffic management as predictable and reliable transit service can improve rider satisfaction and overall ridership. More accurate time scheduling on the routes will help riders handle the unreliability of transit services and reduce the time spent waiting for buses (especially delayed ones). The impact on the commune experience in social sciences is important as it allows for an understanding of how underserved and underrepresented communities in SA experience a crucial component of urban space, public transit. This will be especially beneficial for low-income individuals who heavily rely on public buses to commute to their jobs and educations in SA.

AU  - Jeong Yang
AU  - Young Lee
AU  - Mohammad Abdel-Rahman
AU  - Zechun Cao
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board 267: Enhancing Urban Mobility: SmartSAT's Impact on Public Transportation Services and Commuting Experience
UR  - https://strategy.asee.org/46840
ER  -