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Aug 22, 2008 4:45 pm US/Central
Fort Worth's 'T' Going High Tech To Go Faster
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ―
Public transportation can be notoriously slow, but the City of Fort Worth is determined to do something about it.
Fort Worth's "T" is about to go high tech.
The new system for buses is called "transit signal priority." It's the first of its kind here in North Texas.
When a bus approaches an intersection, a transmitter in the bus sends a signal to the stop light telling it to stay green a little longer. Or if it's red, the signal tells it to switch to green a little faster.
"We try hard as a system to keep everybody on time," said "T" driver Vicki Atkins, "But that doesn't always work."
Atkins knows what it's like to be stuck in Lancaster Ave traffic. She's responsible for getting thousands of folks to and from their destinations on time, and she hopes the new system will help.
"We want folks to get from point A to point B a lot faster if they use our bus system," she said.
Joe Simmons rides the "T" regularly. He's looking forward to the new system. "The bottom line is, if you're not on time," Simmons said, "They look at you, not the bus."
The system will be operational along Lancaster Avenue in Fort Worth in January.
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