The Kitsap Transit board of directors approved several resolutions and reviewed a presentation on new technology upgrades aimed at improving the transit experience as part of its June 17 meeting.

The board reviewed a presentation on new Clever Devices installed on buses. Some new features include: real-time bus location tracking, automated rider alerts and a tracking website.

“It’s a really great foundation for providing the public to be able to get information at their fingertips. So then we also have riders without smartphones who are going to be benefiting from this,” KT marketing director and spokesperson Sanjay Bhatt said.

Riders can opt in to receive automated text alerts with bus arrival information. The system currently requires staff members to manually enter ridership alerts to customers when changes to service occur, Bhatt said.

“The automated alerts are really huge for the marketing team, because as long as I manually create every single one, it impacts when the public gets the alerts,” he said.

The tracker also allows customers to personalize their subscription preferences based on individualized presets, including route, time of day, and specific stops. The system is currently installed on buses but not yet installed on ferries, KT service & capital development director Steffani Lillie said.

To learn more, visit www.kitsaptransit.com/real-time-trip-information

The board unanimously approved a resolution authorising the executive director to approve change orders for the M/V Rich Passage to undergo additional repairs. The new estimated cost for the repairs is $324,990. The work will be completed by Platypus Marine Inc., per agency documents.

The board also unanimously approved a resolution authorising KT to reimburse Washington State Ferries for expenses regarding improvements at the Southworth Ferry Terminal. The reimbursement up to $3,085,000 will be paid by Federal Transit Authority Grant Funds and KT matching funds, documents state.