State College, PA – March 2025– Avail Technologies, Inc., the industry’s leading provider of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for transit operators throughout the US, proudly announces the completion of the Pennsylvania Fixed Route Intelligent Transportation Systems (PA FRITS) project. This project represents a monumental achievement in the standardization and modernization of transit technology across Pennsylvania.

The PA FRITS project, initiated by PennDOT, has successfully integrated advanced ITS solutions across 33 transit agencies; and 1,018 vehicles covering nearly every county in Pennsylvania. This unprecedented statewide initiative is a first-of-its-kind endeavor, reflecting a shared vision of revolutionizing public transit through cutting-edge technology.

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) refer to advanced technologies that enhance the efficiency, safety, and reliability of public transportation. These systems integrate hardware and software solutions such as Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), real-time passenger information, predictive maintenance, and data analytics to optimize transit operations. By leveraging ITS, transit agencies can improve service delivery, streamline fleet management, enhance communication between drivers and dispatchers, and provide riders with real-time travel information.

PennDOT’s leadership in standardizing technology has been instrumental in the project’s success. By using one unified platform, sharing of best practices among agencies will improve, and group training sessions across multiple agencies will ensure consistent and effective use of the technology. This standardization has also laid the groundwork for a statewide data warehouse, which is beginning to yield significant benefits. PennDOT can now generate comprehensive reports, comparing metrics such as ridership levels and on-time performance (OTP) across the state.

“From a daily operations and dispatch standpoint. The FRITS implementation gives us the ability to track and manage our entire fleet in real time. It gives us the opportunity to view our buses, assess driver and route performance, reduce the chance of missed stops and improve our schedule,” said Dave Richards, General Manager at New Castle Area Transportation Authority.

One of the most notable outcomes of the PA FRITS project is the accessibility of advanced ITS benefits to smaller and more rural transit agencies, which have historically faced challenges in adopting such technologies. Thanks to the FRITS initiative, all agencies now have access to real-time information. General Transit Feed Specifications (GTFS) certification, and National Transit Database (NTD) data which will significantly enhance their operational capabilities. Riders across Pennsylvania now enjoy a more seamless experience, with multiple ways to track bus locations. Transit agencies’ dispatch teams also benefit from real-time and historical visibility of their fleets, accompanied by robust reporting tools.

“Avail is honored to have been selected as PennDOT’s trusted technology partner for the nation’s first successful deployment of a comprehensive statewide CAD/AVL solution. Driven by a shared vision between PennDOT and Avail to achieve operational excellence, consistency in data analytics, and cost-effective technology adoption through standardization, we are now seeing that vision come to life. Via the statewide data warehouse, PennDOT is now able to confidently compare operational metrics across properties with a click of a mouse. Avail is hopeful that this model of cost-effective technology adoption and consistency in operations across agencies will become the model for other states in the future.” said Dorsey Houtz, President & CEO of Avail Technologies.

About Avail Technologies, Inc.

Avail Technologies, Inc., based in State College, Pennsylvania, is a leading software development company specializing in Enterprise Transit Management Software (ETMS). Avail’s myAvail product offers comprehensive solutions for finance management, payroll processing, human resources, inventory management, maintenance, asset management, procurement management, operations, planning/scheduling, statistical reporting management, as well as federal, state, and National Transit Database (NTD) reporting. Avail is dedicated to partnering with organizations to revolutionize the adoption of ITS and solve real-world transit challenges.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Christine David
Marketing Specialist
814-234-3394
cdavid@availtec.com