SIS - Instructions

How To Use the ShepherdIS Infrastructure

-- Using the Website: --

The core functionality of the website is accessed from three views: The Line View, The Route View, and the Stop View. All of these systems are completely integrated with other bus systems using the ShepherdIS infrastructure. All of the views can be accessed via the top tool bar on the site.

-- The Line View: --

The Line View is the simplest out of all the views. First, make sure you are viewing the correct system (otherwise you can click on one of the other systems in the area, they are all listed at the top). Then, expand the route you would like to view arrival time information for. For viewing convenience, the stops are clumped into categories of 10 stops each (by order on the route). Expand the appropriate category, and then find your stop to view arrival information.

-- The Stop View: --

The Stop View Allows you to see all the bus-stops we service in the area. For example, Ann Arbor runs both University of Michigan Busses, AND busses from AATA. You can now view all the bus stops together on one map. Select the system you would like to view and click "show system" to view that system's stops and busses. Once you have found the stop (visually or from the select bar) that you are interested in, click on the stop to view bus arrival time for that stop in particular.

-- The Route View: --

The Route View allows you to see a list of the routes currently being run in your city. Once again, select the bus systems you would like to view, and then click on the route you would like to view. If you see a stop you would like to take a look at, click on the stop to view arrival time information at that stop.

-- Mobile Site --

Additionally, if you have a smartphone, you can see a formatted version of the line-view (which also links into a formatted version of the map view, but be warned, loading this on a phone is VERY bandwidth dependent). To get there, simply navigate to shepherdis.com, and the site should redirect you. If the site does not seem to work with your phone, try downloading opera-mini (you can see the download instructions at www.opera.com/mini).

-- Text Messaging --

Finally, if you would like to receive the time of arrival to your phone in text-message format, simply text "aabus" (for aata, "umbus" for university of michigan) followed by your stop name to 41411, and wait for the response (e.g. "Aabus union" for the Michigan Union stops). If you can't remember the stop name, just give it your best guess, we have matching algorithms that will try to guess what you meant. Try it out below!

Shepherd Third Party Software...

At Shepherd Intelligent Systems, we aim to provide our public transportation data as publicly as possible, so if you have an idea for an app/widget/website/anything else you can think of, and you want to use our real-time data, route information, and predictions -- feel free. We will answer any questions you may have, and assist you in any way possible. Leave a message with questions on the forum or send us an email for now (a formal dev page is in the works), and we will get back to you.