WTVM.com and WTVM News Leader 9, Columbus, GA | Auburn University Students Track Campus Buses Online

Auburn University Students Track Campus Buses Online

Auburn University students are no longer waiting at campus transit stops for a ride. A new GPS tracking web site lets them see all 41 buses in real-time.

Tiger Transit, Auburn's campus bus system, has launched a tracking system anyone can use over the Internet or cell phone. It keeps students and fans updated on bus locations so they don't have to wait in the heat or rain.

John McCormack likes the idea of tracking his bus to campus online.

"I can wait a little longer. Maybe I can get that last-minute shower," said McCormack, a sophomore at AU.

Tiger Transit is now GPS equipped, and students can use their computers or Web-enabled cell phones to track the buses.

"Now I can just look, and if it's running too slow, and I've got to get to campus quick, I can get a ride. If not, then I can gauge when to walk out," McCormack said.

Auburn University is the fourth campus in the country to use the Transit Visualization System, created by TransLoc, Inc. A web site tells you where the buses are on and off campus and keeps you from waiting outside. It will even keep feisty football fans updated while waiting on game day shuttles.

"Traffic is, as you can imagine, extremely difficult to get through. You know where your buses are, and you can help the people be a little more calm when you tell them, 'Your bus will be here in 25 or 30 minutes,' rather than, 'I don't know,'" said Rex Huffman, manager of transit services at AU.

Students say this is a valuable service since 10,000 to 12,000 of them use Tiger Transit daily. In not only saves time in getting to classes, but adds extra security at odd times of the day.

"When it's starting to get dark, or early in the morning when there's no one really out, this allows you to be outside the least amount of time by yourself at the Tiger Transit stop," said Matt Jenkins, AU's Student Government Association president.

The Transit Visualization System went online April 23, 2007, and it was accessed more than 6,000 times the first day.  Approximately 1.84 million students and fans took advantage of Tiger Transit during the last calendar year, and many have left comments praising the GPS tracking since it was installed.

Auburn is the first university in Alabama to use the system. The University of Alabama will implement it in August.

You can use the TVS web site by clicking here.