How Vontas Helped MARTA Improve AVL Data Quality

For the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), better bus performance started with better data. Vontas recently spoke with Meghan Kazanski, Manager of Transit Analytics in MARTA’s Department of Research & Analysis, about a project that significantly improved the volume and quality of the agency’s Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) data.

Kazanski’s team supports analytical efforts across MARTA and facilitates the agency’s Bus On-Time Performance Working Group and Bus System Health Monitoring Team. Reliable AVL data plays an important role in both. It helps MARTA understand how buses are performing in service and gives teams across the agency information they can use to identify opportunities for improvement.

When a portion of MARTA’s onboard technology began reaching the end of its useful life, it became more difficult to maintain. In collaboration with Vontas, MARTA replaced its aging Integrated Vehicle Logic Units (IVLUs) and implemented Enhanced Route Tracking. The project provided Kazanski and her team with a more complete and accurate view of their city bus service.

Aging Hardware Affects Data Accuracy

When MARTA approached Vontas, some of its existing IVLUs had reached or were nearing end of life. That was the beginning of a broader set of problems. The older hardware limited software compatibility and kept parts of the fleet dependent on odometer-based tracking, which made AVL data less complete and less reliable. At one point, MARTA had to temporarily remove adherence data from the affected sub-fleet from its Bus On-Time Performance reporting because the information could no longer be trusted. That left the agency with gaps in the data it relied on to understand how service was performing across routes and timepoints.

Those gaps had a huge impact. AVL data plays an important role in how MARTA measures bus performance and identifies opportunities to improve service. The agency uses it to determine departure times at route timepoints, which then feeds into Bus On-Time Performance reporting. When the underlying data is incomplete or inaccurate, it becomes harder for teams to see what is really happening in service and make informed decisions about where improvements are needed. That temporary inaccuracy made restoring the quality and coverage of MARTA’s AVL data a critical part of the IVLU replacement project.

The Results of a Full IVLU Transformation

MARTA worked with Vontas to replace the legacy IVLUs across the affected sub-fleet and introduce Enhanced Route Tracking. The project brought together several groups with different roles in the outcome. Vontas and MARTA’s Radio Maintenance Team handled the IVLU replacements, while the Transit Analytics Unit used information from TransitMaster DataMart to monitor progress and verify
results. When the data surfaced possible roadblocks, the teams could identify which vehicles needed additional attention.

That approach allowed MARTA to measure whether the replacement effort was producing meaningful improvements instead of relying solely on project completion as the measure of success. The results were significant. In summer and fall 2025, approximately 40% to 50% of MARTA’s active bus fleet was reporting insufficient AVL data, meaning data was missing for more than 25% of crossed timepoints. Since the project was completed in March 2026, that figure has remained at approximately 15%.

Data accuracy improved as well. During the same 2025 period, more than 30% of the active fleet reported a high proportion of questionable early- or late-adherence values. Following the upgrade, the share declined to approximately 8.5%. More vehicles are now consistently providing usable adherence information, substantially increasing the data available to support MARTA’s Bus OTP metrics.

The Extended Impact Across MARTA’s Operations

Kazanski explained that the improvements have helped restore institutional confidence in the AVL information that supports operational processes. Garages now have more reliable information available for operator coaching. Scheduling can draw on a larger, more representative dataset when evaluating potential adjustments.

Most importantly, MARTA’s bus reliability metrics can provide a more accurate representation of the service customers experience. That improvement in data accuracy ultimately creates a stronger foundation for data-driven decision-making. When teams can trust that vehicles are consistently reporting accurate information, they can spend more time understanding what the data means and acting on it.

Keeping the Improvements Going

MARTA also used the project to strengthen its monitoring of onboard system health over time. Alongside the IVLU replacement, the agency established a weekly monitoring process that helps identify vehicles experiencing AVL issues. The Transit Analytics Unit conducts fleet-wide audits and works with Radio Maintenance to investigate poor-performing vehicles, submit work orders, and track issues through resolution. That process is helping MARTA preserve the data-quality gains achieved through the upgrade while continuing to identify opportunities for improvement.

The collaboration established during the IVLU project has also been carried forward. MARTA has since used the same data-driven approach on other initiatives involving Vontas and onboard systems, giving technical and analytical teams a repeatable model for tracking progress and verifying outcomes.

For other transit agencies approaching similar modernization projects, MARTA’s experience offers a useful lesson. Hardware replacement can solve an immediate technology problem, but the value grows when agencies connect implementation with the data needed to understand whether the change is working. By combining modernized onboard technology with consistent monitoring and close collaboration, MARTA has built a stronger foundation for understanding bus performance and improving service over
time.

Want to learn how stronger AVL data can support more reliable service for your agency? Contact a Vontas expert to start the conversation