Not long ago, I penned a column lamenting the innovation gap between the automobile industry and the mass transit industry. (See “The Innovation Gap.”) If I were a wagering man, I’d still bet that the auto industry will outstrip mass transit in the pace at which it integrates new technology into its vehicles. But the mass transit sector may not be as slow and stodgy as I’d thought.
Writing in Governing magazine, Ellen Perlman describes “The Year of the Superbus.” Commuter buses are getting decked out with closed-circuit television, Wi-Fi access, reclining seats, cupholders, and ruggage racks for laptops and briefcases. With GPS sensors embedded on buses, transit companies know exactly where their vehicles are, and they can notify passengers if a particular bus is running on time or late.
There are some innovations in Bus Rapid Transit as well. Traffic lights can be manipulated so that buses can run faster between stations, and the buses themselves are being redesigned to facilitate people boarding and getting off more quickly, like they do on the subway.
There seems to be no lack of ideas. There are loads of experiments across the United States. The problem, which isn’t addressed in the article, is the speed at which government and quasi-government monopolies implement change. Automobiles, I predict, will be outfitted with the latest gee-whiz technology long before buses will.