**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

Doublemaps Hits IU

One of the biggest questions people ask around campus is “Do you know when
the next bus will get here?” People check the schedule hoping that they didn’t miss the
last A bus or that the bus is running on time. This problem has finally been solved with
innovative thinking by IUSA. Each one of the 27 IU busses is now equipped with a GPS
tracking device that is activated once the bus is turned on to give students real time data
of the location of every bus running on camps. This data can be accessed through the
new IU mobile app for iPhones and also from Doublemap.com. "The Doublemap project
started as a crazy IUSA idea, and it resulted in one of the top contributions that IUSA has
made to IU” said current student body vice president Peter Servaas. The university had
been talking about this idea for the past four to five years, but it wasn’t until Ilya Rekhter
took it upon himself to think outside of the box and make a cost effective way to
implement this system so it could immediately benefit the students. Ilya worked closely
with the IU Bus Operations Manager, Perry Maull, and Brian McGough from the IU
Mobile development team, which ensured the seamless integration that this project has
experienced across campus. “The IUSA funded student project to provide a real time bus
tracker program for IU Campus Bus Service, has saved several hundred thousands of
dollars, compared to commercially available bus tracker systems that have been
purchased by public transit systems serving other major universities” said Maull of the
project. Up to this point, the total project cost is $15,000 and IUSA is responsible for the
future costs of maintaining this program. There are no major costs in the foreseeable
future for this program to keep it running on its current track. There are many visible
benefits that this project has brought to IU. The GPS transponders keep accountability of
the bus drivers on campus, create a safer environment for nightriders by giving them and
accurate wait times at each stop, and takes IU one step closer to its sustainability goals
This new feature to IU has increased ridership across campus on IU public transportation.
The only problem that has arisen from the project is bus over crowding. There has been
an influx of bus riders during peak hours of the school day now that students know when
the bus will be at their respective stop. The project team is looking into how to combat
this issue and is working on a way to provide estimated time of arrival data to go side by
side with the GPS data. This will give students a better perspective of how to time their
travels by offering live times on all the buses that they could potentially take in order to
spread out riders over more buses. “It has been great to work with Ilya Rekhter and the
entire IUSA team to get the real time bus tracker implemented. The students have
learned a lot and we have learned a lot from the students working on the project,” said
Maull of the success of the doublemaps project.
Release Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010
Event Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010

Indiana University Student Association

Indiana University Memorial Union, Rm. 387
700 E. 7th Street, Bloomington, IN. 47408

Quotes (All Permissions Included)

“The IUSA funded student project to provide a real time bus tracker program for IU
Campus Bus Service, has saved several hundred thousands of dollars, compared to
commercially available bus tracker systems that have been purchased by public transit
systems serving other major universities..”

-Perry Maull (pjmaull@indiana.edu)

“It has been great to work with Ilya Rekhter and the entire IUSA team to get the real time
bus tracker implemented. The students have learned a lot and we have learned a lot from
the students working on the project.”

-Perry Maull (pjmaull@indiana.edu)

"The Doublemap project started as a crazy IUSA idea, and it resulted in one of the top
contributions that IUSA has made to IU. I'm proud to have served as IUSA President
during the creation of this phenomenal product, which was produced by Ilya and his
team. "
-Peter Servaas (Student Body VP) (peterjservaas@gmail.com)

Contact

Ryan Mase, Director of Communications

e-mail: rwmase@indiana.edu, phone: 302.379.5055

Abby Liebenthal, Executive Director of Communications

e-mail: abbylieb@indiana.edu, phone: 419.367.9774

Whitney Taylor, Executive Director of Communications

e-mail: whitaylo@umail.iu.edu, phone: 513.227.8611

Mehdi Ayari, Executive Director of Communications

e-mail: ayarim@indiana.edu, phone: 812.606.9461

Murat Kacan, Chief of Communications

e-mail: mkacan@indiana.edu, phone: 858.208.9368