8A - Solving the Problem

As discussed in my previous assignments, the problem I am addressing is the unreliable RTS app and buses here in Gainesville. Students, teachers, workers, and anyone who uses the RTS app and the bus system to get around Gainesville have run into some serious problems with the app and the system itself. Some of these problems include; the app saying the wrong estimated time of arrival, saying “no prediction” or “out of service” instead of how many minutes away the bus is from your stop. Other problems include the bus randomly stopping and sitting still for 10+ minutes, bus drivers taking random breaks, Wi-Fi and cellular connection problems that causes the app to freeze, and so much more.

I want to create a reliable app, so that people don’t have to ever worry about being late. I don’t want people to have to wake up extra early or stress out while trying to catch a bus, and actually have a straight ride to their destination without any non-scheduled stops.

I have a few different ideas to try and solve these problems:

• A new and improved RTS app: this should and could be done right away. The app needs fixing and I believe if we get rid of the old app and create a new and improved one, we could solve some issues.
• Within this new app, more information will be provided.
• It will obviously still include everything the RTS app currently has.
• It will newly include all scheduled “breaks” the bus drivers will have on a weekly basis. This way students can plan ahead if they know their bus won’t be running for a certain amount of time during the day. This will hold the bus drivers accountable for any random stops they are currently taking.
• It will also include any traffic that may be on the roads, so you could be prepared. This can be done by using the same technique maps does. Red lines indicated stopped traffic, Yellow lines are for some traffic, and no color is all clear. This will allow users to see if traffic will be holding up the buses and if they need to get a head start on their day.
• This new app will also have a new system where if the bus is going to arrive sooner than expected it will automatically notify you of any changes. The app will have an estimated time of arrival, and if that arrival time is 3 minutes earlier or later than expected, the app will send you a notification every time. This way you are able to keep track of buses going faster or slower than expected.
• Better connection: technology is constantly changing and becoming more innovated. We need to update the technology of the app as well as inside the buses. Part of the problem could be that the buses aren’t transmitting the right data to the app, making the app send out false information, or saying the bus has no prediction or is out of service. Updated technology will also help with the freezing of the app when switching from Wi-Fi to LTE.

Overall, I want to have an app that is reliable, easy to use, and gives all the information one may need. I know for a fact that a new app will be a hit for many. I’ve talked to a lot of people about the app and everyone has the same opinion, that the app sucks and is unreliable. There are hundreds of people that use the RTS app daily and maybe more people would be willing to use the app and ride the buses if they knew there was a reliable app out there.