AVL AND MDT: GO HIGH TECH WITHOUT BUSTING YOUR BUDGET

The purpose of this paper is to stimulate rethinking of how to get most of automatic vehicle location (AVL) and mobile data terminals (MDT) in the quickest and cheapest way. The paper is based on experience of closing out a transit property's failed attempt to fully install AVL, and later on justifying a multimillion dollar fixed route and paratransit AVL system for the property, and recent justification of an AVL system for paratransit costing only a few hundred thousand dollars. The discussion includes a comparison in high and low cost AVL and MDT systems, identification of useful technology, determination of return on investment, selection of a vendor, implementation of the system and upgrading a system to the next level of performance.