First Ever iPad-powered Mass Transit Kiosks Catch a Ride on Charleston Trolleys
August 16, 2011
Interactive kiosks enable CARTA riders to view location, relevant travel information and points of interest
CHARLESTON, SC – August 9, 2011 – Slicker Interactive and Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) announced today the launch of the first iPad-powered mobile kiosk that gives CARTA riders a whole new perspective of Charleston. The kiosks – installed on all twelve trolleys servicing the CARTA DASH routes – allow bus riders to interact with and search Slicker’s popular City Slicker app which is available on the iTunes App Store. The app provides users with a wealth of information about cultural sites and businesses. In addition to the interactive kiosk, the iPad powers a flat-screen monitor which displays videos and images of establishments the bus is approaching.
“We’re excited about this launch and the unique capabilities of this kiosk and the application,” stated Slicker CEO, Tommy Dew. “The power and stability of the Apple iPad is incredible. It gives us the ability to deliver rich, interactive content to riders in real time. Enhancing their experience increases the chance they will use mass transit again.”
Some of the features these kiosks provide to bus riders include:
- Mapping: Geolocation of the route, the stops and places of interest along the way
- Bus Tracker: Riders can see where the busses are related to their location
- Community Highlights and Helpful Hints: Educate, entertain and inform the public
- You can take it with you: The same information on the kiosk is available for download on a personal device.
City Slicker’s Bus Tracker feature provides CARTA customers a way to check on the location of their bus while they wait. Until Slicker harnessed the potential of the iPad, this handy feature had been cost prohibitive because it required the installation of expensive, specialized hardware while Slicker’s kiosks cost considerably less.
One of the champions and primary backers of the new kiosks has been Charleston Mayor Joe Riley. “I am pleased to announce that Charleston is the first city in the world to benefit from City Slicker’s brand new technology. There is so much content and useful information, it will be a tremendous help and first class guide for anyone traveling in our city. The additional attraction of City Slicker is sure to be a critical step towards increasing mass transit ridership.
“CARTA is always striving to provide the best service for the Charleston area,” said CARTA Interim Executive Director Christine Wilkinson. “This addition to our DASH routes enhances the rider experience without any additional cost in fare.”
Slicker Interactive partnered with Direct Media to enable CARTA to have these kiosks installed on the DASH Trolleys in downtown Charleston. Slicker hopes to use this successful model with CARTA to continue to offer this enhancement for other transit systems across the country.
About Slicker Interactive
Slicker Interactive founded in 2008, is an industry leading developer and publisher of mobile and kiosk-based applications. Slicker has developed and published a wide array of popular mobile apps, including the world’s first self-guided, walking city tours for the iPhone and the first iPad-powered kiosk application to be installed on public transportation. Apple selected Slicker’s Charleston, S.C. Tour app as a Staff Favorite and Pick of the Week, a double prize that had been given to less than 30 of Apple’s hundreds of thousands of applications. In addition to the city tours, Slicker was the first company in the world to build iPhone apps for college campuses and specifically for use on mass transit. Slicker’s mallMerlin app is the most advanced consumer shopping app in the retail sector, providing detailed information, maps, and coupons for over 75 malls across the U.S.
In addition to creating and publishing popular apps, Slicker licenses its cutting-edge app-development platform, Press-o-Matic, which provides non-developers with a quick, easy way to create media-rich mobile apps for a variety of commercial uses and industries. Press-o-Matic enables virtually anyone to create tour, shopping, and other apps that include photos, mapping, video, geolocation, coupons, and even augmented reality features.
Information about Press-o-Matic and individual applications can be found at www.slicker.com. Also, follow Slicker on Facebook.
About CARTA
The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is a public transportation system dedicated to providing affordable transit to the Charleston community through four services – fixed routes, Tel-A-Ride, flex/demand service and express routes. CARTA services Charleston and the surrounding areas including West Ashley, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant. For the latest on CARTA, follow us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @RideCARTA. CARTA – It connects us all.
