Mar
21
I was recently asked what I thought of the Blacksburg Transit’s new BT4U project that was recently launched. I wanted to share my answer on our website. My take on the situation is this:
What they offer is entirely different from what we offer. Okay, maybe not entirely, but it is definitely different, and those differences mean that how they will be used, and who uses them, will likely be different.
The BT has these signs on the Hethwood and CRC routes (as far as I know) with a number to text, and they give you a 4-digit stop code. This isn’t a use it in the empo or in your home kind of system, it’s a text it once you’re already at the stop system. That’s what they offer; ease of mind at the bus stop, and guidance for a new rider.
Our system, as the goal was defined since the beginning, is designed for the student in the empo or in their apartment. There’s no need for stop codes, and therefore there’s no need to already be at the stop. There’s a bunch of different visual apps that let you figure out where the buses are (as well as how many people are on them!) without going to the bus stop yet. You don’t even need to know the best stop to use, it’ll GPS it for you. That’s what we offer; 10 more minutes in the empo instead of waiting at a bus stop, or five more minutes not spent in the rain.
As I see it, the goals of the projects are different, and therefore cater to different needs.