Madison Metro pushed for modern technology within the city bus system during the Transit and Parking Commission meeting Tuesday night.
Dave Eveland, an Information Systems coordinator for Metro, outlined a management performance audit for further development of the Metro's IT department.
""We're very small, but we coordinate the efforts of the people in other departments,"" Eveland said.
Ideas included computerizing the IT records department, as well as improving scheduling software and updating and making use of the Automatic Passenger Counting technology.
""We don't have a lot of faith in the accuracy of these devices,"" Eveland said. ""We hope to come up with a recommendation that makes use of APCs or finds an alternative way to count passengers.""
Forty fixed buses are equipped with these infrared devices, which, if effective, would be helpful in route planning. In addition, a program to replace the current fare collection equipment, a technology that is 20 years old, was proposed.
""Five years ago, fare boxes were outfitted with a magnetic strip for swipe cards, but the coin boxes need to be replaced,"" Eveland said. ""To have a cashless system isn't what we would recommend, but it is worth talking about.""
Other points included plans for the development of a new infrastructure for the IT department because the current one is overburdened.
The points brought up by the audit are all a part of a supplement to the 2010 operations budget, in which the department asked for a full review of IT systems.
""It's time for an external review of our projects to understand the projects undertaken at the Metro,"" Eveland said.
Commission member Chuck Kamp also brought up the commission's plan to move the inner-city bus terminal on West Washington Street to an alternate location, expressing the Common Council's desire for a report on the situation.
""Metro's perspective is that we have worked with Greyhound and Badger Bus to find an alternative location,"" Kamp said.
