
SF Muni/Nextbus failure due to being 4 years behind in upgrading from 2G to 3G - bifrost
http://www.sfexaminer.com/inside-muni-nextbus-meltdown-emails-reveal-averted-crisis/
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pdx6
I have spoken to SFMTA staff about this as well.

There are a few more details, mostly that this whole problem started when the
agency tried to save $1M in their IT budget.

This is what happens when an org focuses on giving away free rides instead of
running their business. Free rides for youth and seniors, formally subsidized
by Google, cut into budgets like this that impact the entire system. IIRC it
is a $10M+ budget item.

I would say paying the $1M for the upgrades up front would have been a better
insurance policy; having NB down for 6-8 weeks is not only embarrassing but
unacceptable.

The real time arrival system is out for bid now. One of the requirements is to
allow riders to know how full the next vehicle is(!).

~~~
bifrost
SFMTA needs to have someone come in and roust the people that did this. I
mean, I'm frankly amazed 2G has worked in the last 4-5 years much less since
2012. Upgrading to a 3G modem which is likely already obsolete is kinda
ridiculous.

~~~
pdx6
Also consider that, since this was an emergency fix that applied to vehicles,
every single one of the 600+ fleet has to be retrofitted. That's a massive
amount of rush labor and gear.

