For those who ride TheBus, it’s a universal experience: Peering up the street, wondering when your bus will arrive.

Until now, wondering was pretty much the only option. The published schedule can’t take into account the unexpected — heavy traffic, road conditions, mechanical failures, a full bus — things that can’t be seen from a bus-stop bench.
But Oahu Transit Services and the city are moving to take some of the uncertainty out of bus arrival times, using global positioning system technology and the Internet to provide riders with real-time — and hence, more accurate — information.
It’s a step in the right direction. As O'ahu’s roads grow more crowded, it’s smart public policy to expand the use of the latest information technology to keep commuters informed about traffic conditions. For drivers, the city’s traffic camera feeds, ubiquitous on city and news Web sites and on television, give them easily accessible real-time information. Bus riders deserve the same, especially with ridership up by 11 percent this year.
After all, convincing more people to use public transportation is crucial to keeping gridlock at bay, and this requires a system that can compete with the convenience of using a car. This means reliable information that bus riders can count on to plan their commute.
OTS’s system, accessible at hea.thebus.org, provides GPS-based estimated arrival times for virtually every bus stop and bus in the 531-vehicle fleet. It’s simple to use from a computer or Web-enabled mobile phone.
The next step should be to make the data available for bus riders who don’t have, or can’t afford, daily Internet access. That means adopting more accessible technology, such as Interactive Voice Response, which works with regular cell phones.
It also means electronic signs at bus stops to provide the real-time information on the spot — useful for those less familiar with TheBus, such as tourists. The city has contracted to install about 40 signs at selected bus stops, but they’re expensive. The city should be alert to technological advances that can bring the costs down, and install more when it’s feasible.
O'ahu’s daily commute will get more onerous with University of Hawai'i-Mänoa resuming classes on Aug. 24. Taking full advantage of alternatives — TheBus, carpooling, off-peak driving — can make that daily trip less stressful. And technology, properly deployed, can make it a more attractive choice.