Council hears presentation on transit tech upgrades including rider app and real‑time displays

Beloit transit staff and Paseo Technologies demonstrated the first phase of technology upgrades for the city’s transit system, including a rider‑facing smartphone app, real‑time web tracking, public displays at the transit hub and passenger‑counting data to support service planning.

Transit staff told the council the upgrades were paid entirely with federal grant funds from the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Scott McLaren, vice president of Paseo Technologies, demonstrated live tracking and described features intended to improve the rider experience: real‑time vehicle locations, set‑stop alerts, in‑app notifications, ETA displays and onboard passenger‑density indicators.

McLaren showed how the system’s reporting tools let planners break ridership by route, stop, day of week and hour to identify busy segments and adjust service accordingly. He noted the system also supports in‑vehicle voice announcements, internal LED signage to meet ADA requirements, and an infotainment/advertising platform that agencies can use to generate incremental revenue.

Councilors asked whether the system can produce time‑of‑day forecasts and detect late‑night demand for potential route adjustments; McLaren and staff said yes, that data collection can be configured to support those analyses. McLaren also described a covert panic or alarm function on the mobile data terminal that can silently notify dispatchers and designated contacts in the event of an on‑vehicle emergency.

Transit staff said phase 2 — a cashless fare system — will be presented at a subsequent meeting. Staff also noted interoperability with Janesville Transit (which uses the same vendor) so riders can travel across systems using the same app.