FAQs
What is the PC-Travel Software Suite?
It is several separate programs used together to do travel time and delay studies and level of service studies. You get the software that is used to collect the data in the field and you get the analysis and reporting software that processes the field data. Most customers will use GPS2LT3 which use standard GPS receivers with laptops, to collect the data. PC-Travel is used to process field data for travel time and delay studies. You get both these software programs when you buy the PC-Travel Software Suite.
How much does it cost?
$995 for new customers.
Upgrades for current PC-Travel for Windows Version 1 or 2 users are $295.
Do I need a separate license for each vehicle or computer?
No. The software is sold with a “site license” which means you can run any of the software programs on as many different computers as you want at the same time as long as all of the computers are part of the same office or site. Obviously the field software can be run outside the office as long as it still part of the same site. For example, if you are a consultant and you have two offices, you need separate licenses for each office; you can’t share one license between the two offices. If you aren’t sure what this means for you then just call and we can discuss it.
Is this the same software that Jamar sold?
Yes. Ridge Engineering developed PC-Travel for Jamar in 2001 and did most of the support since then. In 2008 Jamar decided they no longer needed outside contractors so the relationship with Ridge ended (very amicably). Jamar also didn’t want to further develop and support PC-Travel so Ridge bought it. Now Ridge develops, markets, sells, and supports the software. This site, and version two and three of the software is the result.
I already have PC-Travel version 1 or 2; do I have to upgrade?
Yes and No. Version 1 is very old and we don’t recommend anyone use it and we don’t support it. We will continue to support all current users of PC-Travel version 2. Of course, no new features will be added to version 2, to get them you will need to upgrade.
Where do I get the street maps I need?
Currently there are couple of ways to get maps. The easiest and probably best way is to download the maps for free from the US Census Bureau. Or, you can use your own street maps if you have ESRI’s ArcGIS software. Appendix 1 of the PC-Travel Manual (available here) explains these options in detail.
Where can I get GPS receivers?
Just about any standard GPS receiver can be used with PC-Travel. We can sell you receivers, but frankly we would rather you bought your own. We have to charge extra to cover the extra shipping charges (from the web site to us, then on to you). If you can’t easily buy products on the Internet (or it is more hassle then it is worth) then we will gladly sell you what you need. If you want to save a few bucks, then buy your own. Check the Links page for links to sites where you can buy new receivers.
Can one person safely collect the data in the field?
You can easily and safely have one person collect the data. This is because you can have the driver start each run with the car stopped and off the road, merge into traffic and drive the entire route without looking at or touching the laptop, and end the run with the car stopped and off the road. The driver never has to look at the laptop or press any keys while driving. We also recommend you use the remote control (See the Links page) we adapted to start and stop runs so you don’t have to touch your laptop at all during a run; you start a run with a push of a button on the remote control and end the run with a push of the same button. This is easy and safe.
What is PC-LOS?
PC-LOS is the office software used to directly measure Level Of Service at a signalized intersection. (If you don’t know what this means, then this software probably isn’t for you.) This is indirectly related to PC-Travel since you can use the same field software (GPS2LT, for example) to collect the data. Travel time studies normally are done on a series of intersections along one arterial. LOS studies are just done at one intersection, but the techniques to collect the data are similar. In fact, the run files for PC-LOS are identical in format to run files for PC-Travel. PC-LOS was part of the PC-Travel Version 2 Suite but hasn’t been updated to Version 3. Let us know if you think you would like to use it.