Canadian company wins Metro Transit contract in Oklahoma City

The Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority, the trust that runs Metro Transit and city parking garages, awarded the $2 million contract this week to Mentor Engineering, a Canadian firm specializing in such systems. All but about 10 percent of the money comes from federal transportation funding.

The system should be fully installed in about a year, Metro Transit spokesman Michael Scroggins said.

The immediate benefit to passengers will be notification systems both on and off the buses. Smartphone apps or text messages can alert passengers when a bus is close, as opposed to what time a schedule says it will arrive. And an audio alert system will tell passengers on the bus when a particular stop is approaching.

“If the buses aren't on schedule, heaven forbid, then they (passengers) know, ‘I've got an extra five minutes, so I can have a cup of coffee,'” said Brent Freer, Mentor Engineering's sales director.

Wireless Internet service also will be available aboard the buses, Scroggins said.

Information about where the buses are, if there are any mechanical problems and how many people are on a bus at a given time will constantly be transmitted and stored.

“All of that information goes back to dispatchers who can make decisions in real time, and it drives reporting to managers,” Freer said.

Metro Transit will do all it can to make passengers aware of the added benefits as the launch date nears, Scroggins said.