PlatformPulse

PlatformPulse is a mobile + web app that predicts light-rail car crowding and platform congestion in near real time, so riders can choose the best car, door, or even the next train. It combines official GTFS-realtime feeds (where available) with anonymous, privacy-safe signals from opt-in riders (phone motion + coarse location), plus station-level heuristics (event schedules, school dismissal times, weather). The app shows a simple “crowd map” by station and by car (when feasible), alerts you when your usual train is likely to be packed, and suggests alternatives (different departure, different boarding position, or a parallel bus route). It also provides agencies a lightweight dashboard to spot chronic pinch points without installing new hardware. Reality check: accuracy will vary by city and depends on rider participation and data access, so the product must be transparent about confidence levels and avoid overpromising.