KCATA SELECTS SIEMENS FOR ADVANCED TRANSIT SYSTEM

Siemens to equip 300 Kansas City Area Transportation Authority vehicles with system

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (PRWEB) March 8, 2003 -- The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), located in Kansas City, Mo. has awarded a Regional Radio / Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) contract to the Integrated Local Government (ILG) division of Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Siemens AG (NYSE: SI). The Siemens solution has dramatically improved transit schedule adherence and enhanced the information provided to transit passengers in several other major cities.
The installation will include a new radio system, Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) software based on Differential Global Positioning (DGPS), and a schedule adherence program for over 300 service vehicles.

The ITS system is part of the Siemens TransitMaster Advanced Public Transportation System (APTS) designed to provide precise, real-time bus location information creating a more efficient and user-friendly transit authority for employees and passengers alike. Siemens will also provide KCATA with Computer-Aided Dispatching (CAD); Automatic Passenger Counters (APC); an ADA-Compliant Automatic Vehicle Announcement System (AVAS) designed for individuals who are hearing impaired or are visually impaired; and Real Time Arrival Signs (RTAS) that provide exact arrival times to customers at bus stops and terminals via wireless-networked electronic signs. All these features are designed to ensure a safe and accurate trip for passengers on the KCATA.

KCATA is an interstate political subdivision of Missouri and Kansas with a seven-county jurisdiction. Counties in the agencys service area include Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte in Kansas. The KCATAs current service area is approximately 202 square miles. KCATAs Metro division serves an average of 50,000 passenger trips per day. It operates 54 fixed bus routes and 6 MetroFlex (demand response) routes that provide 10 million miles of scheduled transit service per year.

Siemens Transportation Systems Integrated Local Government Division specializes in Advanced Public Transportation Systems and Intelligent Transportation Systems throughout North America. ILG solutions include TransitMaster and real-time public information systems, including OnStreet (signs at bus stops), WebWatch (online information), and EZTrips (trip-planning kiosks). Siemens also offers ResponseMaster, an emergency awareness, response management, and advanced data communication system for public safety agencies.

Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc. is one of Siemens operating companies in the United States. The company provides a broad spectrum of products and services to the U.S. transportation industry, including Intelligent Transportation Systems, communication and operation control centers, electrification systems, AC-traction locomotives, mass transit vehicles and complete design/build turnkey systems. For more information: www.sts.siemens.com.

Siemens AG (NYSE: SI), headquartered in Munich, is a leading global electronics and engineering company. It employs 426,000 people in 192 countries and reported worldwide sales of $77.8 billion in fiscal 2002 (10/1/01 - 9/30/02). The United States is Siemens' largest market in the world, with sales of $21.5 billion in fiscal 2002 and approximately 70,000 employees in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Corporate headquarters for Siemens' U.S. businesses are located in New York City. For more information: www.usa.siemens.com