SCAT Technology Upgrade/Replace

Project Description: This project will upgrade/replace hardware and software on board SCAT fixed route buses for vehicle location (AVL), Automatic Passenger Counters (APC), route monitoring and real–time information for passengers.

Project Status: Planned

Project Stakeholders:

• Sarasota County Area Transit
• Travelers

Project Service Packages:

• PT01: Transit Vehicle Tracking (Sarasota County Area Transit)
• PT02: Transit Fixed-Route Operations (Sarasota County SCAT)
• PT08: Transit Traveler Information (Sarasota County SCAT)
• PT07: Transit Passenger Counting (SCAT)

Project Information Flows:

Information Flow	Source Element	Destination Element	Status
personal transit information	Sarasota County SCAT Dispatch	Private Travelers Personal Computing Devices	Planned
transit traveler information	Sarasota County SCAT Dispatch	Sarasota County SCAT Fixed Route Transit Vehicles	Planned
transit vehicle loading data	Sarasota County SCAT Fixed Route Transit Vehicles	Sarasota County SCAT Dispatch	Planned
transit vehicle location data	Sarasota County SCAT Fixed Route Transit Vehicles	Sarasota County SCAT Dispatch	Planned
transit vehicle schedule performance	Sarasota County SCAT Fixed Route Transit Vehicles	Sarasota County SCAT Dispatch	Planned

Project Functional Requirements (Element - Functional Object):

• Private Travelers Personal Computing Devices - Personal Interactive Traveler Information
• 1: The personal traveler interface shall receive traffic information from a center and present it to the traveler upon request.
• 2: The personal traveler interface shall receive transit information from a center and present it to the traveler upon request.


• Sarasota County SCAT Dispatch - Transit Center Information Services
• 4: The center shall provide transit service information to traveler information service providers including routes, schedules, schedule adherence, and fare information as well as transit service information during evacuation.


• Sarasota County SCAT Dispatch - Transit Center Passenger Counting
• 1: The center shall collect passenger count information from each transit vehicle.


• Sarasota County SCAT Dispatch - Transit Center Vehicle Tracking
• 1: The center shall monitor the locations of all transit vehicles within its network.


• Sarasota County SCAT Fixed Route Transit Vehicles - Transit Vehicle On-Board Information Services
• 2: The transit vehicle shall broadcast advisories about the imminent arrival of the transit vehicle at the next station/stop via an on-board automated annunciation system.


• Sarasota County SCAT Fixed Route Transit Vehicles - Transit Vehicle Passenger Counting
• 1: The transit vehicle shall count passengers boarding and alighting.


• Sarasota County SCAT Fixed Route Transit Vehicles - Transit Vehicle Schedule Management
• 1: The transit vehicle shall receive a vehicle assignment including transit route information, transit service instructions, traffic information, road conditions, and other information for the operator.
• 2: The transit vehicle shall use the route information and its current location to determine the deviation from the predetermined schedule.

Standards:

• US: GTFS - Secure Wireless Internet (ITS)
• US: GTFS real-time - Secure Wireless Internet (ITS)
• US: TCIP - Secure Wireless Internet (ITS)
• US: TOMP - Secure Wireless Internet (ITS)

Project Operational Concepts:

Roles and Responsibilities

• Travelers
• Load transit application on mobile device.


• Sarasota County Area Transit
• Perform automatic passenger counting on fixed route buses.
• Provide fixed route vehicle tracking and computer aided dispatch.
• Provide real time bus arrival information to travelers.

Last Updated 8/25/2025