DFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Ann Arbor, MI –  The old adage is that if something is not broken, don’t ‘fix it.’ But as the Rochester-Genessee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) points out, the adage does not say anything about an upgrade.

RGRTA recently received a substantial improvement to its transit operator simulation system by its original manufacturer, FAAC Incorporated. The upgrade brought the RGRTA system up to FAAC’s flagship MB-2000 level.

“The upgrade of our (original) simulator was crucial to effectively introducing our Bus Operators to our new Transit Center in a controlled, safe environment,” said RGRTA’s Senior Project Manager Kirk Bethel. “The extensive upgrade to our simulator equipment is spot-on and has increased the confidence of our Operators so that when they start live training it will be much safer and more effective for them.”

Upgrades to the RGRTA system included adding two additional large rear-projection viewing screens, installing the latest virtual driving world (Safety City), loading additional driver training scenarios, inserting a much faster internal operating system, installing real, adjustable side mirrors, and development of a geo-specific portion of RGRTA’s new transit station in the virtual driving environment.

FAAC also has committed to delivering its new turnkey Transit Operator Curriculum to the instructors at RGRTA. The curriculum is designed for new operators to effectively provide powerful simulator teaching on the first day of simulator ownership. It includes an integrated system of driving scenarios, lecture/discussion presentation, informational catalog of scenarios, and a detailed instructor guide designed to bring the new simulator instructor through the techniques, approaches, and nuances of simulator training.

“RGRTA’s upgraded simulator, combined with our new curriculum, will provide their agency’s instructors with many years or effective, powerful training,” said Clayne Woodbury, FAAC’s Transit Business Development Manager. “RGRTA has wanted the upgrade for a long time, and I am very satisfied that we were able to bring all these improvements into their new Training Center for them.”

For more information on FAAC products and services, contact Clayne Woodbury at 734-761-5836 (clayne@faac.com)