Case Study: SMART achieves real-time bus fleet monitoring and significant cost savings with Digi TransPort WR44 R

Smart saves $70,000 a year with Digi International

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Rapid Transit (SMART), a public transit agency serving the Detroit metropolitan area, faced challenges with its aging, costly analog radio network for fleet monitoring. Their outdated automatic vehicle location (AVL) system lacked real-time capabilities and required expensive tower maintenance. Seeking a modern, cost-effective solution, SMART partnered with Digi International.

Digi International provided its rugged Digi TransPort WR44R cellular routers as the core of a new cellular-based AVL and VoIP system. This solution enabled real-time vehicle tracking, data collection, and reliable communication. The results were substantial savings, with SMART reporting hard cost reductions of $70,000 annually from eliminated tower leases and maintenance, plus estimated additional soft cost savings of $150,000-$200,000. The agency also gained modern features like real-time passenger information tools.

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