Imagine arriving at the bus stop just as the Key West city bus pulls away. You run after it, yelling, whistling and cursing as the driver, his face in his rearview mirror, plainly sees you trying to catch the bus.

Or maybe you try to flag him down at the curb, only to have him point to the next bus stop and drive right past without stopping.

What happened to the days when bus drivers stopped and picked up paying passengers who need to get to work? They're gone, city transportation officials said.

Where it once was possible to do so, drivers no longer can get away with picking up ill-positioned riders. New global positioning system equipment on city buses lets managers at the Key West Department of Transportation headquarters on Palm Avenue know exactly where the buses are at all times. They also know when the drivers stop in the wrong place and open the doors to let people on board.

No more stopping

"Why couldn't he stop for me?" is a common question transportation officials hear.

"There's no more stopping to let you run up to the bus," unless the passenger is within 50 feet of it, Director Myra Wittenberg said. "We've tried to be flexible, but there's only bus service at designated bus stops. They are not allowed to stop if you're not at the stop."

The close monitoring doesn't make all bus drivers happy, but the resistance was greater when cameras were mounted on the buses a couple of years ago, Wittenberg said.

"We had a period of resistance then, that Big Brother's on board, and drivers said, 'If everything I do is wrong, why try?' But it's a positive support tool, too. If we use it to always slap the drivers on the wrist, it's not doing anything for us."

The system, still being tested on city buses, does a great deal more than count passengers and monitor when the vehicles stop. Riders might even find the system helpful once the Web site that manages the system is finished sometime after Jan. 1.

Passengers will be able to access the system from their cell phones, personal computers and other personal data devices. A passenger waiting at a bus stop can determine where the bus is and when it will arrive by calling 305-600-1455 and punching in some information.

A Web site, http//:www.KWtransit.com, now has map routes by color, but eventually will show in real time where buses are on their routes. That will cut down on calls to the DOT from frustrated passengers wondering if a bus will show up at all.

In the meantime, what's working now is making a big difference, Wittenberg said.

"We get all kinds of customized reports," she said. "If drivers are doing more than 5 mph over the speed limit, we'll get an automated e-mail from the bus. If the doors are open while the vehicle is moving more than 3 or 4 mph, we'll get a message."

The idea is not just to catch bad drivers. The system also lets managers praise good drivers and provide suggestions on managing times on routes.

"We also give drivers pats on the back for good work when they get there when people expect them to be there," she said.

Safety issues

The hardware and software was developed by Syncromatics Corp., a young California firm that has a couple of university shuttle bus tracking systems operating, one at the University of Miami and one at the University of California in San Diego.

It uses a combination of three systems: satellite tracking, data transmission over wireless cellular networks in Key West and Google Maps software to display bus locations and data on laptops, personal computers and personal data assistants.

The notification system also monitors and sends managers automatic reports on engine performance and maintenance data such as transmission, oil and other fluid levels; whether the engine is overheating; tire pressure and dozens of other vehicle conditions, Wittenberg said.

The system also ramps up safety and emergency response time when problems pop up with the bus, its driver or passengers, Wittenberg said.

The buses, equipped with video cameras that record events inside and outside, also alert Key West police when drivers hit a "panic button." The bus alerts the DOT and police dispatchers simultaneously. Cameras record what happens, so the videotapes can be used as evidence during criminal investigations or as driver training.

"It helps with safety and response," Wittenberg said. "We've had people with seizures and [could] call medical personnel to the bus's location right away. We have children who get separated or handicapped people who get separated. We see a big array of consequences."

Glenn Porter has driven buses for the city for about six months. He said he's glad to have the safety features on board if something bad goes down.

"If we have an incident, we can directly call the police," he said. "We just press a button."

Avoiding traffic snarls

The system, when installed, will include integrated voice response and text messaging capabilities, similar to those found in commercial aircraft. DOT managers can send flash messages to all the bus drivers at one time: North Flagler Avenue closed at Kennedy Drive for road construction, for example. Drivers quickly can switch to voice communications to talk with managers.

That's where the late-arriving passenger comes in. Drivers who stop to pick them up quickly can text headquarters to tell their supervisors they have done "a courtesy pickup with a passenger warning," Wittenberg said.

It also helps the DOT investigate complaints from passengers who complain that a bus was late or never showed up at a specific stop.

"If we get a call from someone who says the red [route] bus didn't stop at Sears, we can say, 'I'm sorry, but our report shows it did come by.' We also can see that he opened the doors, too. We can provide a little footprint report for each stop."

The city paid about $249,000 for the combination of hardware and software and includes a five-year contract for programming, reporting, service and warranty, Wittenberg said. The system was paid for by Federal Transit Administration grants, she said.

jguerra@keysnews.com