A log of when and where riders board and exit will be electronically recorded. Using computers, sensors and satellites, transit will be more convenient for bus riders and more efficient for the transit agency. It's the wave of the future for public transit, and a consultant has been hired to help HRT get on board. Some of the new technologies HRT is studying will be on display this weekend at the Azalea Festival Air Show at the Norfolk Naval Station. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Visitors can check out infrared cameras that sharpen drivers' night vision.
Bus-stop messaging systems that announce arrivals and schedules. Sensors on buses that alert drivers when cars or other objects are too close. Computers that can read fare cards even when they're in wallets or purses. Everything on display is in use somewhere in the United States, he said. Although no city uses all the components, Seattle, Atlanta and Portland, Ore., are among the most advanced.