LCD Displays, Routers, Media Players & Lighting at BRT Shelters (Kansas City, MO)

Aug 16, 2021

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority MAX Bus Rapid Transit Shelters

2019 | Kansas City, MO

The Challenge

KCATA had been managing digital kiosks at bus stops for years, and knew the challenges associated with maintaining them. 

With multiple suppliers involved in the supply of the kiosk and shelter components, it was difficult to determine which party was responsible for downtime, which placed the burden of onsite troubleshooting on KCATA. 

With that, KCATA’s  team regularly visited their inventory of kiosks to power cycle issues related to the media players, LCD displays and WIFI routers.  This was costly, time-consuming, inconvenient, and disruptive to daily operations.   

The Solution

When KCATA planned to expand their MAX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line with 80+ additional shelters and kiosks, the Operations Manager requested the project include a remote monitoring and control system for rebooting and individualized component mangement. 

SmartLink worked with the shelter manufcaturer, Decamil, and digital kiosk supplier, RedyRef, to integrate the SmartLink SL-4-AC controller into each shelter and kiosk.  from one controller, SmartLink manages the shelter lighting, two LCD displays, two media players and a Cradlepoint router.  

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Reduced Site Visits

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Energy Usage Reduction

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Maintenance Savings

Remotely Reboot Displays

KCATA and its partners at RedyRef Digital Kiosks and SmartCity Media use the SmartLink portal to reboot the LCD displays, media players and Cradlepoint routers when issues arise.
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Instant Outage Notifications

While the City was undergoing construction along the MAX BRT Shelter route, power would be disconnected periodically at the street.  SmartLink notified KCATA  of the outage, which clarified why the kiosks were not working.

Multiple Supplier Separation

With four suppliers of the amenities at each location, it was important to determine the responsible party when issues occured.  SmartLink separately monitors each component, which speeds up troubleshooting and holds the right party accountable.
Kansas City KCATA - MAX BRT Bus Stop Shelter - SmartLink Outdoorlink REDYREF Kiosk Remote Device Monitoring

Project Gallery

  • Reduced Maintenance and Operations 70% 70%
  • Reduced Customer Complaints 35% 35%
  • Reduced Vendor Troubleshooting 60% 60%
  • Reduced Utility Costs 30% 30%

Value Shared Throughout the Organization

SmartLink has helped KCATA reduce their bottom-line costs by offsetting labor costs, but the system has also reduced customer complaints, reduced vendor troubleshooting, and reduced operating utility costs.