For over 50 years the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) has prioritized accessibility and ease of use for its ridership. Serving the Northern Kentucky region, including Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties, TANK has embarked on a transformative journey through the adoption of Avail Technologies’ computer-aided dispatch, automatic vehicle location solution (CAD/AVL). This partnership is part of TANK’s broader strategy to improve service efficiency, enhance communication, and elevate the overall rider experience. By integrating cutting-edge technology, TANK is redefining its operational processes and preparing for a future of increased demand and performance optimization.
TANK has been an Avail Technologies customer dating back to 2018 when the agency’s enterprise resource management (ERP) provider was acquired by Avail.
Thanks to its long history with the company, when the time came to replace TANK’s previous CAD/AVL solution, the selection process was an easy one. When TANK released an RFP for a new CAD/AVL system, Avail was prepared to not only upgrade the agency’s current ERP but provide a full installation of the CAD/AVL system.
“Our previous CAD/AVL system and the equipment was really getting old, and it was just not working for us anymore,” said Lyndi Whiteker, Performance Analyst at TANK. “We were also trying to move from a traditional radio tower communication type system to cellular. That was a big factor in why we got the new system, but our equipment was just really getting old and starting to fail and it was time.”
In March of 2023 the agency began the 11-phase process to onboard Avail’s updated CAD/AVL system. Over a year’s time, the solution was programmed onto all 95 of the agency’s fixed-route fleet vehicles and the groundwork was laid for a smooth rollout of the new technology. In addition to the CAD/AVL system, TANK opted to adopt further upgrades including Avail’s voiceover IP (VoIP), the addition of infotainment signs to vehicle interiors, the installation of digital signage at three stations, automatic passenger counters (APCs), and the addition of automated yard management to their fixedroute fleet. The agency also transitioned from an on-premise server to Avail’s cloud platform.
Avail’s technology provides transit agencies with a single database for data to flow seamlessly throughout the organization. Business intelligence dashboards report metrics in real time to help improve efficiency, justify funding requests, and demonstrate compliance. Riders are immediately notified of changes, dispatchers know the locations of every bus and driver, incidents are tracked as they occur, and vehicle health monitoring capabilities can predict failures so maintenance can easily work on all vehicle issues before those buses hit the road.
According to Avail Technologies project manager, Neal Castles, TANK was looking to solve a few specific challenges they had faced with their previous CAD/AVL system. Issues with reporting data, generating reports, keeping track of vehicles, and an outdated radio tower communication system.
“Those were just a few of the challenges that were presented to us,” Castles said. “As we went along through the installation, we were very deliberate about addressing each of those issues.”
The Avail onboarding process is a methodical one, with each vehicle undergoing a pre inspection prior to the installation itself followed by an ATP, a rigorous test to ensure that all new features are functioning properly.
From the outset, TANK was confident in Avail’s ability to meet its operational needs. One key feature of Avail’s approach is its adaptability, as the system is highly customizable to fit the specific demands of its clients.
“What made this partnership special is TANK already had our ERP solution,” said Robert Manaseri, Avail Technologies Vice President of Programs. “We then deployed our CAD/AVL solution. That is the beauty of a uniform platform. Our ERP system is built specifically for transit agencies, and then you add the CAD/AVL, it’s all under one umbrella. It gives our customers all the information they need in one place.”
Avail’s myAvail system goes beyond CAD/AVL; it is an Enterprise Transit Management Solution (ETMS) with role-based user interfaces for operations, finance, and administration staff to manage all aspects of a modern transit agency operation. Capabilities include automatic mining and analysis of operational data, configurable performance metrics dashboards, preemptive notification of upcoming issues, as well as onboard, desktop, email and text alerts to avoid operational issues.
In an installation or upgrade of this magnitude, Avail first conducts a survey of all the vehicles that will require new hardware. Avail then creates a bill of materials for each vehicle type.
From there, Avail’s production team begins ordering components and building vehicle kits, before sending the kits to the agency’s facilities. Avail installers and field engineers arrive to support the installation effort, and Avail conducts on-site training while aiding with the initial vehicle pilots.
“They were really thorough,” Whiteker said. “We went through a requirements review in the beginning, and then we moved towards getting the new data in the system. They guided us through all of that, they came on site and helped transition us into each piece of the system, one week at a time.”
As part of the project, Avail created an enhanced training plan for TANK. The training plan is aimed at utilizing each component of myAvail to its fullest advantage – from the operator to operations, marketing, customer service, training, and the maintenance department.
As part of the advanced training, Avail focused on creating standard operating procedures (SOPs) and implemented a multi-phase learning process, starting with a high-level introduction to the concept for different levels of usage for employees.
“Maintenance training was fantastic,” said Bill Hock, TANK Director of Maintenance. “They were on site, the installation team reviewed everything with my team throughout the entire process to make sure that everybody had a thorough understanding of how everything worked. It was a really good process.”
Once the process is complete, the agency and Avail conduct a full-fleet rollout. In the case of a large agency like TANK, this rollout can take up to two months to complete.
“One thing that we are big on at Avail is adoption of the system, ensuring that our customers get the return on their investment, that they’re using the system effectively to improve their transit operations,” Manaseri said. “We place considerable focus on customer adoption, not only during the project deployment phase, but also during customer support.”
On the backend, the ETMS provides TANK with a single database for data to flow seamlessly throughout the agency. Business intelligence dashboards report real-time metrics to improve efficiency, justify funding requests, and demonstrate compliance.
“One of our main goals was better data collection,” Whiteker said. “We didn’t feel like we could trust the data that was coming out of our old system, it was just really spotty. Now, we have more data than we can probably even use. We’re really focused on using that data to plan better, tighten up schedules, see what the running times are, and make some overall improvements.”
“I honestly cannot overstate how useful the APC data has been,” said TANK Senior Transit Planner, Olivia Tussey. “Before we had access to the new data we were just using our farebox ridership. Obviously that doesn’t give you the capability of drilling down into specifically which stops are being utilized. Now, really being able to see where people are making use of our service the most has been incredibly useful.”
The next major technology implementation on TANK’s agenda is the introduction of Avail’s voice-over IP (VoIP) to replace the agency’s radio system. The agency switched out its traditional radio tower communication system in favor of a 100 percent cellular service.
“The big thing was connecting to the buses,” said Mike Wolf TANK Operations Supervisor. “There were some areas with the old system where we couldn’t get radio contact with the drivers. Now we have much better communication overall which is a big deal.”
According to Wolf, TANK drivers are aware of the system’s critical value for tracking miles and hours, and for passenger information. It ultimately makes their jobs easier, he said, when customers are more informed about their trip prior to embarking.
The system’s user interface has also been a hit with dispatchers. They now have a much clearer, real-time view of where each vehicle is and can monitor the status of the fleet more effectively. They know the locations of every bus and driver, incidents are tracked as they occur, and vehicle health monitoring predicts failures so maintenance can ensure buses hit the road as scheduled.
“The real-time communication of vehicle defects through the vehicle network has been extremely helpful,” Hock said. “It will report back through the CAD/AVL and we get notifications of those defects in real time. That, over time, will help decrease road calls, failures on the road, and allow us to spot issues and resolve them prior to it being a customer and or a service interruption.”
As TANK continues to embrace technology to improve its services, the agency is optimistic about the future. The CAD/AVL system has already proven to be a valuable asset in improving efficiency, reducing communication challenges, and enhancing maintenance operations.
“TANK is an excellent example of a transit agency that’s future focused and has continually made their service and their ridership a priority,” Manaseri said. “All the system benefits, from reduced road calls to the collection of real time data, it’s all working towards their goal to improve service, enhance communication, and elevate the overall rider experience.”