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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 7 - Use of Technology." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 7 - Use of Technology." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
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Page 72
Page 73
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 7 - Use of Technology." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
×
Page 73
Page 74
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 7 - Use of Technology." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13784.
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71 CHAPTER 7 USE OF TECHNOLOGY The use of ITS components and other technologies is a subject of ongoing interest among both transportation pro- viders and human services agencies and has been the focus of a number of studies and demonstration programs. This chapter provides background information from one previous study, then describes how three case study subjects are using technology to improve coordination of transportation ser- vices for the transportation disadvantaged. As coordinated transportation systems begin to serve more clients, operate more vehicles, involve more agencies and funding sources, or serve a larger geographic area, the operation and management of the system become more complex. Although this growth allows more system effi- ciency through the sharing of resources (economies of scale), it can also present difficulties if supporting technol- ogy is not upgraded. For example, it may no longer be pos- sible to handle trip scheduling and vehicle dispatching functions manually as the number of trip requests increases. More sophisticated communications systems may be needed to communicate with drivers or vehicles. More advanced accounting, billing, and financial reporting sys- tems may become necessary to keep track of multiple fund- ing sources, bill the various human service agencies, and provide timely and accurate reports to management and to funding agencies. The role that technology can play in the coordination of transportation services is aptly explained in TCRP Report 76, Guidebook for Selecting Appropriate Technology Systems for Small Urban and Rural Public Transportation Operators. Following is a brief description of some technologies that would be most applicable to the delivery of coordinated transportation services, based on TCRP Report 76. Demand-Responsive Transit Software—Expedites call taking; automatically schedules trips and routes vehicles; col- lects and maintains client, service, and vehicle data; and gen- erates standard and customized reports. Both automated and computer-assisted software is available. Automated software schedules trips and routes vehicles using internal computa- tions; computer-assisted software requires some additional decision making from the computer operator to generate routes and schedules. MDT or Mobile Data Computer—Serve as links between the transit system control center and a driver to relay relevant information, such as dispatch, trip, route, and rider data. AVL—Determines vehicle location using navigation sen- sors, usually a Global Positioning System (GPS), most com- monly by sending position data to a base station via radio or other communication link. Fare Media (e.g., bar code, smart cards, magnetic stripe cards)—These allow easy identification of passengers and the payment of fares without cash. Magnetic stripe cards electronically deduct the trip fare from the account balance on the card. Smart cards work in a similar fashion, deducting the trip fare from the cash value stored on an embedded microchip. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)—Computer mapping application that displays and analyzes the spatial relationship between different data such as vehicle routes, trip pick-up and drop-off points, bus stops, streets, and landmarks. Mayday System—Allows the vehicle operator to trip an inconspicuous onboard switch to alert the base station of an accident, crime, or medical or other emergency. A cautionary note: In considering the technology possi- bilities outlined above, be aware that while technology can often be a helpful solution to a need or problem, such solu- tions can be both expensive and difficult to implement. Careful thought and evaluation is necessary before deciding that a particular solution is right for a given need and orga- nization. It is not uncommon for an organization to adopt a technology solution only to find itself mired in a situation requiring additional unanticipated human, financial, and other resources because it selected an inappropriate technology for the task or because staff was not adequately trained to install or operate the equipment. CASE STUDIES The subjects for the clustered mini–case study on the topic of technology were selected to illustrate the ways in which technology can facilitate coordination of such functions as vehicle operations, billing, grants management, and report- ing. There were three case study sites: • The New Mexico CRRAFT system developed by the ATRI. • The use of AVL/MDTs and automated scheduling and dispatch software at the Ottumwa Transit Authority (OTA)/10-15 RTA.

72 • Selected developmental disability service providers. • The Welfare-to-Work Program of the New Mexico DOL (an original, not a current participant). • The TANF and Food Stamps Programs of the New Mexico Human Services Department. • The New Mexico Department of Vocational Rehabilita- tion (an agency that has recently started to participate in the system). There is anecdotal information that the cost per passenger mile has decreased as a result of using the CRRAFT system; however, there is no supporting data at this time. The FTA and the ITS Joint Program Office have hired a consulting team to conduct an evaluation of the system that will include a before-and-after analysis to determine any increased effi- ciencies from use of the CRRAFT system. This evaluation should be completed by the end of 2004. The CRRAFT system assists human services agencies with the generation of financial and client tracking reports, as well as generating FTA Sections 5310, 5311, and JARC reports for transit systems. Through the use of standard reports, the CRRAFT system has likely reduced the time required for the PTPB to provide payment to subgrantees. OTA OTA operates both fixed-route and demand-responsive transit services in the City of Ottumwa, Iowa. In addition, OTA operates demand-responsive and regional rural services in the remainder of the ten-county area (Iowa DOT Region 15) as a contractor to the 10-15 RTA. A significant amount of coordinated client transportation is provided under con- tract to human services agencies. OTA was a relatively early adopter of advanced technolo- gies, receiving an FTA demonstration grant in 1995 to imple- ment AVL/MDTs to improve communications between the central administration/dispatch office and vehicles serving a ten-county service area. The AVL/MDT implementation is also aimed at increasing the safety and security of vehicle occupants, especially while traveling in remote rural areas. In addition, OTA has installed automated scheduling and dis- patch software. Goals for the ITS project include the following: • Achieving reliable communications with all vehicles throughout the ten-county area. • Identifying the location of all vehicles, particularly the 40 vehicles based outside the Ottumwa facility. • Increasing the safety and security of drivers and pas- sengers on board vehicles, particularly in remote areas. • Transmitting maintenance problems and results of pre- trip vehicle inspections to the base station. • Facilitating the billing process. • The use of linked trip reservations and centralized scheduling/dispatching software at the St. Louis TMA. The experiences of each of the three subjects are sum- marized below. More detailed descriptions can be found in the complete case studies in Appendix A on the accompa- nying CD-ROM. New Mexico The CRRAFT system is a statewide technology deployment intended to streamline the data reporting process between the PTPB of the New Mexico DOT and its subgrantees. In addi- tion, the system will ultimately integrate human services transportation referrals with daily rural public transportation operations. CRRAFT is a web-based application that includes stan- dardized invoicing and ridership reports, a simplified sched- uling tool, and modules that can be used by transit providers to track vehicle usage and maintenance. Eventually, the sys- tem will include installation of magnetic stripe readers on vehicles, which will be used to read information from clients’ Electronic Benefits Transfer cards. The focus of this system is on improving coordination between human services and transportation funding agencies and their subgrantees. Individuals applying for public assistance do so through the New Mexico Human Services Department, Income Sup- port Division. Once an individual has been approved for pub- lic assistance, a case worker assesses the client’s available transportation resources and needs. If the client requires transportation assistance and if the chosen means of trans- portation is public transit, the client is given transportation privileges on his or her benefits’ card, and the case worker provides a referral to a transportation provider. Referrals are currently completed manually and then faxed to the trans- portation provider. After the referral information has been entered into the database, the transportation provider can obtain the client information from the CRRAFT system. Clients eligible for demand-responsive service call the transportation provider to schedule a trip. The trip request is entered into the CRRAFT system, and the provider schedules the trip. When making the trip, clients show their benefits’ cards to the driver, who records the card information, which is entered into the CRRAFT system at the end of the day. Once the card read- ers have been installed, this process will be automated. Clients eligible for fixed-route trips will simply board the bus and show their cards to the driver. The CRRAFT system has been implemented at 26 rural transit centers throughout New Mexico and is used to track an estimated 150 vehicles and 3,000 to 5,000 human services clients. Clients from a number of agencies are included in the CRRAFT system, including the following:

73 The use of AVL/MDTs is intended to accomplish all but the last goal, which will result from full implementation of computerized scheduling and dispatch software. Implementation of AVL/MDTs at OTA has taken several years. While the original FTA grant for this demonstration project was executed in 1995, implementation of the AVL/ MDTs did not start until late in 1999, and implementation of the scheduling and dispatch software did not start until sum- mer 2000. Full installation occurred in March 2000, and the scheduling and dispatch software is not yet operational. TMA The St. Louis TMA serves the City and County of St. Louis and adjoining St. Charles County, Missouri. It is an example of cooperation and coordination among local planning agen- cies, transportation providers, and human services agencies. The focus of this coordination effort is a trip reservations and scheduling system operated by Metro (name adopted February 1, 2003; formerly known as Bi-State Development Agency) with transportation provided by multiple operators. A number of paratransit providers serving the City of St. Louis and two surrounding counties (St. Louis and St. Charles Counties) are participating in a joint effort led by the TMA, which was created for this purpose, the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, and Metro (formerly known as Bi-State Development Agency). Four agencies—Metro, OATS, MTM, and Care Cab Transportation Service—were the original core members of the TMA. Metro serves as the managing contractor but only provides service in St. Louis City and County. Metro performs the functions of a partial broker, by providing centralized planning and management; grants administration; accounting, billing and record keep- ing; vehicle maintenance; and, driver training.4 In addition to Metro, there have been as many as 11 transportation pro- viders involved; currently there are 6 transportation pro- viders in addition to Metro and OATS. The vast majority (over 90%) of trips are performed in St. Louis City/County. Users of the services include ADA- eligible individuals, seniors, the general public in rural areas, individuals with developmental disabilities, and Medicaid recipients (MTM operates a Medicaid brokerage throughout Missouri). The original coordination concept came from the East- West Gateway Coordinating Council paratransit committee. Committee members believed that paratransit service deliv- ery was fragmented and inefficient in the St. Louis area and sought a means to maximize service efficiency as well as to achieve economies of scale through coordinated vehicle oper- ations and maintenance. The TMA was originally formed to address Welfare-to-Work transportation service needs; how- ever, due to a lack of state funds for Welfare-to-Work trans- portation, the focus shifted to transporting clients of mental health agencies. The call centers and radio dispatch centers of the four orig- inal paratransit providers were linked by means of a com- munications network of T1 lines. This network, together with paratransit reservation and scheduling software enables the agencies to book trips for their customers on vehicles oper- ated by the other providers, thereby filling empty seats. The software shows all routes, scheduled trips, and available slack time. Demand-responsive trips can then be assigned to appro- priate routes with sufficient slack time. MDTs installed in all the larger providers’ vehicles are used to communicate with drivers and to capture operational data; smaller providers use cell phones for communication. Because of the linked dispatch centers, dispatchers are able to assign trips to the most appropriate vehicle even if it is operated by another provider. The St. Louis TMA has managed to coordinate service in the city and surrounding two-county area. Trips are shared and riders from different agencies and programs are mixed on the same vehicles. Resources, particularly vehicles and drivers, are used more effectively. Client agencies receive the benefit of more revenue when they are given riders from other programs. Some service to the general public in rural areas is able to be accommodated by mixing these trips with agency trips. Otherwise, these general public trips could not be served because of program eligibility restrictions. Another benefit to the TMA arrangement is that Metro is able to provide backup vehicles and drivers for the small providers when they experience a vehicle breakdown or driver problem. Another interesting feature is that Metro, with its resources and expertise, is able to involve a number of very small providers in the system. These small providers would not otherwise have the ability or resources to participate in the large agency contracts that the larger TMA is able to bid on and win. Finally, a major benefit to the TMA arrangement is that Metro is able and willing to pay the other transportation providers immediately, then submit an invoice to the funding agencies for subsequent payment. Otherwise, the providers would often have to wait months to be paid. ADVICE FROM PRACTITIONERS Several factors were cited by key staff at each case study site as being critical to the successful development and implementation of a technological aid to coordination. Some of the projects implemented at the case study sites benefited from the existence of these factors; in other cases, their absence caused project delays or required specific actions to 4 The program manager believes that a pure brokerage arrangement would not work in this situation. It is only through Metro’s ability and willingness to provide a number of other resources such as hardware and software technology that the TMA has been able to function effectively.

74 encourage their development. Guidance from the case study sites is summarized below. • Commit to spending the time and energy needed to build cooperation and trust among participating agencies. This may involve meetings to discuss issues of concern and develop acceptable solutions, changes to operating poli- cies or procedures, or a redesign of some aspect of the technology system. • Find (or become) a local champion for the development and implementation of the technology application. An individual with the time, energy, enthusiasm, and exper- tise to bring all the parties together and provide ongoing leadership is a key factor in a successful implementation. • Enlist the support of a partner with plentiful resources. An agency with financial and technological resources may be able to acquire items such as hardware, software, and related support and make them available to smaller part- ners. The participation of a state-level agency can be an invaluable source of support, especially if it encourages transportation providers to use the technology system. • Anticipate the need for technological resources to sup- port the implementation of technology applications. Needs can include items such as high-speed access to the Internet, technical support at the sites at which the technology will be in use, hardware and software secu- rity systems, and communications facilities (such as radio towers) with suitable capabilities. Identify resources that may be lacking and develop back-up plans or redesign aspects of the technology system to address the gaps. Consider the ability and knowledge of internal staff and supplement this as needed through support from other agencies, such as the state DOT. • Conduct adequate research and planning prior to the implementation of the technology system. In addition to assessing needs and developing a technology application that will address them effectively, consider issues such as the procurement requirements of funding sources. OTHER TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES Other resources that can provide information and guidance related to choosing, implementing, and using technology in transportation include the following: • TCRP Report 76: Guidebook for Selecting Appropri- ate Technology Systems for Small Urban and Rural Pub- lic Transportation Operators, Transportation Research Board, 2002 • Rural Transit ITS Best Practices, prepared by Multisys- tems, Inc., for the ITS Joint Program Office, March 2003. • Best Practices in APTS/ITS Applications for Rural Tran- sit Systems, prepared by Harvard Design and Mapping Company, Inc., for FTA Office of Research, Demon- stration and Innovation, June 2001. For a guide to existing case studies and coordination guide- books that include information about the use of technology systems, see Appendix F on the accompanying CD-ROM.

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TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 105: Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged examines strategies for initiating or improving coordination of local and regional publicly funded transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged.

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