The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) is rapidly electrifying its fleet to meet sustainability goals set under the Green New Deal for Los Angeles. To meet the unique demands of these new zero-emission buses, LADOT is partnering with GMV Syncromatics and ViriCiti to develop a fleet management and maintenance system which will provide real-time dispatch and bus status information.

LADOT will equip all of its new e-buses with software to improve bus performance by measuring bus efficiency, ridership, and bus arrival-departure timing. Better fleet performance data will provide valuable and actionable insights as LADOT looks to improve its transit services continuously as it moves to achieve a fully-electrified fleet by 2028.

Using data is key to effectively serving the people of Los Angeles. Innovative partnerships, allow us to deploy tools that improve the customer experience and get us closer to our goal to build a more sustainable and efficient transportation system.

—LADOT Transit Director Corinne Ralph

ViriCiti Software provides LADOT access to real-time bus vehicle notifications, such as the state of charge, bus location, speed, idling, or any issues the bus may have. All data transmitted pertains only to the vehicle, no passenger information is collected.

Using ViriCiti’s Smart Driving technology, LADOT will improve driver training and better understand where common traffic incidents, such as harsh braking, are taking place on the road. The software is able to interpret the driver’s direct influence on the trips with external factors like weather or passenger load also taken into consideration. This information can then be used for training to increase efficiency, safety, and passenger comfort.

GMV Syncromatics has also supported the electrification efforts of LADOT since the department received its first electric bus in 2017. GMV’s technology provides real-time route information of buses when they are on the road, allowing dispatchers to make sure their vehicles are completing routes in a timely fashion.

In 2019, the City of Los Angeles announced the Green New Deal for Los Angeles which included the goal of achieving a 100% electrified fleet by 2028. In 2020, LADOT executed the purchase of 159 electric buses. LADOT is also deploying charging stations at two LADOT bus yards and charging solutions at bus depots to support an all-electric fleet.

LADOT Transit is the operating division of the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation responsible for providing commuter bus, neighborhood circulator bus, on-demand first-mile/last-mile service and accessible transportation for seniors and the disabled. LADOT Transit is the largest operator of municipal transit services in Los Angeles County providing more than 20 million trips to those who live, work and visit Los Angeles.

ViriCiti started in 2012 with a focus on electric buses and trucks and is now market leader in the United States and Europe, with more than 3,500 buses and chargers connected to its platform. The company is working with more than 200 OEMs and fleet operators worldwide and aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by offering an all-in-one solution for full-electric as well as mixed fleets. Last January, it raised €6.25 million ($7.25 million) to expand its focus on the North American market.

GMV Syncromatics provides Intelligent Transportation Systems software and hardware for more than 130 transit operators across the United States. GMV Syncromatics deploys cloud-based computer-aided dispatching and automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL) software, real-time passenger information, digital signage, and other technologies. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, GMV Syncromatics is a company of GMV, a global leader in Intelligent Transportation Systems based in Madrid, Spain.