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TCRP
TRANSIT
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
REPORT 84
Sponsored by
the Federal
Transit Administration
e-Transit: Electronic Business
Strategies for Public Transportation
Volume 8
Improving Public Transportation
Technology Implementations and
Anticipating Emerging Technologies
OCR for page R2
TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2007 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
SELECTION COMMITTEE*
CHAIR OFFICERS
Robert I. Brownstein
AECOM Consult, Inc. CHAIR: Linda S. Watson, CEO, LYNXCentral Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando
VICE CHAIR: Debra L. Miller, Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka
MEMBERS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
Ann August
Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Authority
John Bartosiewicz MEMBERS
McDonald Transit Associates J. Barry Barker, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
Linda J. Bohlinger
HNTB Corp. Michael W. Behrens, Executive Director, Texas DOT, Austin
Peter Cannito Allen D. Biehler, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg
Metropolitan Transportation Authority--Metro John D. Bowe, President, Americas Region, APL Limited, Oakland, CA
North Railroad Larry L. Brown, Sr., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson
Gregory Cook
Violia Transportation Deborah H. Butler, Vice President, Customer Service, Norfolk Southern Corporation and Subsidiaries,
Nathaniel P. Ford Atlanta, GA
San Francisco MUNI Anne P. Canby, President, Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, Washington, DC
Fred M. Gilliam Nicholas J. Garber, Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia,
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Kim R. Green Charlottesville
GFI GENFARE Angela Gittens, Vice President, Airport Business Services, HNTB Corporation, Miami, FL
Jill A. Hough Susan Hanson, Landry University Professor of Geography, Graduate School of Geography, Clark
North Dakota State University
John Inglish
University, Worcester, MA
Utah Transit Authority Adib K. Kanafani, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
Jeanne W. Krieg Harold E. Linnenkohl, Commissioner, Georgia DOT, Atlanta
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority Michael D. Meyer, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia
David A. Lee
Connecticut Transit Institute of Technology, Atlanta
Clarence W. Marsella Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington
Denver Regional Transportation District John R. Njord, Executive Director, Utah DOT, Salt Lake City
Gary W. McNeil Pete K. Rahn, Director, Missouri DOT, Jefferson City
GO Transit
Michael P. Melaniphy Sandra Rosenbloom, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
Motor Coach Industries Tracy L. Rosser, Vice President, Corporate Traffic, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR
Faye L. M. Moore Rosa Clausell Rountree, Executive Director, Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority, Atlanta
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Henry G. (Gerry) Schwartz, Jr., Senior Professor, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Authority
Frank Otero C. Michael Walton, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
PACO Technologies Steve Williams, Chairman and CEO, Maverick Transportation, Inc., Little Rock, AR
Robert H. Prince, Jr.
DMJM+Harris EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Jeffrey M. Rosenberg
Amalgamated Transit Union Thad Allen (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC
Michael Scanlon Thomas J. Barrett (Vice Adm., U.S. Coast Guard, ret.), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
San Mateo County Transit District Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
Beverly Scott
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Joseph H. Boardman, Federal Railroad Administrator, U.S.DOT
James S. Simpson Rebecca M. Brewster, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
FTA Paul R. Brubaker, Research and Innovative Technology Administrator, U.S.DOT
Frank Tobey George Bugliarello, Chancellor, Polytechnic University of New York, Brooklyn, and Foreign Secretary,
First Transit
Frank Wilson National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County J. Richard Capka, Federal Highway Administrator, U.S.DOT
Sean T. Connaughton, Maritime Administrator, U.S.DOT
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
William W. Millar Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
APTA John H. Hill, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
Robert E. Skinner, Jr. John C. Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation
TRB Officials, Washington, DC
John C. Horsley
AASHTO J. Edward Johnson, Director, Applied Science Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
J. Richard Capka John C. Stennis Space Center, MS
FHWA William W. Millar, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
TDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Nicole R. Nason, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
Louis Sanders Jeffrey N. Shane, Under Secretary for Policy, U.S.DOT
APTA James S. Simpson, Federal Transit Administrator, U.S.DOT
SECRETARY
Carl A. Strock (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of
Christopher W. Jenks Engineers, Washington, DC
TRB Robert A. Sturgell, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
*Membership as of November 2007. *Membership as of October 2007.
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
TCRP REPORT 84
e-Transit: Electronic Business
Strategies for Public Transportation
Volume 8
Improving Public Transportation
Technology Implementations and
Anticipating Emerging Technologies
Matthew W. Burt
BATTELLE
Columbus, OH
Chris Cluett
BATTELLE
Seattle, WA
Carol L. Schweiger
TRANSYSTEMS CORPORATION
Medford, MA
Matthew A. Coogan
White River Junction, VT
AND
Richard B. Easley
Sharon Easley
E-SQUARED ENGINEERING
Ashburn, VA
Subject Areas
Public Transit
Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2008
www.TRB.org
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM TCRP REPORT 84, Volume 8
The nation's growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, Project J-9/Task 12
and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current ISSN 1073-4872
systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand ISBN: 978-0-309-09921-9
service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve Library of Congress Control Number 20078921967
these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, to © 2008 Transportation Research Board
adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to intro-
duce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative
Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by
which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions COPYRIGHT PERMISSION
to meet demands placed on it. Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining
written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously
The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report
published or copyrighted material used herein.
213--Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this
and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation
publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the
Administration--now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA,
report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product,
Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem- method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for
educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of
solving research. TCRP, modeled after the longstanding and success- any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission
ful National Cooperative Highway Research Program, undertakes from CRP.
research and other technical activities in response to the needs of tran-
sit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit
research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment,
NOTICE
facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and
The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Cooperative Research
administrative practices.
Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the
TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Pro- Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing
posed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was autho- Board's judgment that the project concerned is appropriate with respect to both the
rized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act purposes and resources of the National Research Council.
of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement out- The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and to review
lining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooper- this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration
for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions
ating organizations: FTA, the National Academies, acting through the expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and
Transportation Research Board (TRB); and the Transit Development while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not
Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research orga- necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council,
nization established by APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the the Transit Development Corporation, or the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S.
Department of Transportation.
independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and
Project Selection (TOPS) Committee. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel according to
procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive
Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council.
may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research
of the TOPS Committee to formulate the research program by identi- Council, the Transit Development Corporation, and the Federal Transit Administration
fying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS (sponsor of the Transit Cooperative Research Program) do not endorse products or
Committee defines funding levels and expected products. manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein solely because they are
considered essential to the clarity and completeness of the project reporting.
Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, appointed
by the Transportation Research Board. The panels prepare project state-
ments (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide techni-
cal guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process
for developing research problem statements and selecting research
agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research pro-
grams since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve
voluntarily without compensation.
Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail to
reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on dissemi-
Published reports of the
nating TCRP results to the intended end users of the research: tran-
sit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other support- are available from:
ing material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for Transportation Research Board
workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure Business Office
that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry 500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
practitioners.
The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively and can be ordered through the Internet at
address common operational problems. The TCRP results support and http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
complement other ongoing transit research and training programs. Printed in the United States of America
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR TCRP REPORT 84, VOLUME 8
Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Gwen Chisholm Smith, Senior Program Officer
Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications
Ellen M. Chafee, Assistant Editor
TCRP PROJECT J-9 PANEL
Field of Special Projects
Paul A. Toliver, New Age Industries, Seattle, WA (Chair)
Peter Anderson, Fort Worth City Government
Robin Cody, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
Raymond H. Ellis, AECOM Consult, Inc., Arlington, VA
Lawrence J. Harman, Harman Consulting, Boston, MA
Rosie Perez, Miami-Dade Transit Agency
Michael Shiffer, Chicago Transit Authority
Robin C. Stevens, Robin Stevens Consulting, Ltd., New York, NY
Linda S. Watson, Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX)
Nigel H. M. Wilson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mokhtee Ahmad, FTA Liaison
Sean Ricketson, FTA Liaison
Thomas Palmerlee, TRB Liaison
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research reported herein was performed under TCRP Project J-09/Task 12. The work was con-
ducted by Battelle, TranSystems Corporation, Matthew Coogan, and E-Squared Engineering. Battelle was
the lead contractor for this study. The work undertaken by TranSystems, Mr. Coogan, and E-Squared
Engineering was performed under a subcontract with Battelle.
Matt Burt of Battelle was the principal investigator. The other authors of this report are Chris Cluett,
Battelle; Carol Schweiger, TranSystems Corporation; Matthew Coogan; and Richard and Sharon Easley,
E-Squared Engineering.
The work was done under the general supervision of Mr. Burt. The work at TranSystems was done
under the supervision of Ms. Schweiger, with the assistance of Santosh Mishra.
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FOREWORD
By Gwen Chisholm Smith
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
TCRP Report 84: e-Transit: Electronic Business Strategies for Public Transportation docu-
ments principles, techniques, and strategies that are used in electronic business strategies
for public transportation. TCRP Report 84 is being published in multiple volumes; Volume
8: Improving Public Transportation Technology Implementations and Anticipating Emerging
Technologies summarizes the value of current technologies used in public transportation,
describes methods for improving the success of technology implementation, and identifies
five promising emerging technologies with application for transit agencies. This report may
be used specifically by chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief information officers (CIOs)
of transit agencies, transit managers, program and project managers, intelligent transporta-
tion systems (ITS) professionals, and the public transportation industry in general.
New information and communication technologies are revolutionizing the way services
are delivered and organizations are structured. Electronic business processes change the
ways organizations operate and conduct business. Opportunities to lower operations and
maintenance costs and improve efficiency have changed relationships between transit agen-
cies and their suppliers and customers, and electronic business processes are likely to change
industry structures in the long term.
The declining costs of communications, data storage, and data retrieval are accelerating
the opportunities spawned by the Internet and other information and communications
technologies. Choosing and sequencing investments in technologies, processes, and people
to reduce costs and increase productivity present challenges to the transit manager, who
must weigh the costs, benefits, and risks of changing the ways services are delivered. To assist
in meeting such challenges, TCRP Project J-9 produces a multiple-volume series under
TCRP Report 84. The research program identifies, develops, and provides flexible, ongoing,
quick-response research designed to bring electronic business strategies to public trans-
portation and mobility management.
Improving Public Transportation Technology Implementations and Anticipating Emerging
Technologies is the eighth volume in the TCRP Report 84 multiple-volume series. Battelle, in
association with TranSystems, Matthew Coogan, and E-Squared Engineering, reviewed lit-
erature, trends, and developments of the past few years related to public transportation and
technological advancements. Also, the research team conducted 16 interviews with repre-
sentatives from both the United States and abroad to determine the extent to which transit
agencies worldwide are using various types of information technologies. The research team
obtained information on the experiences of transportation providers that have deployed
newer technologies, the range of objectives transit agencies have for using current and near-
term technologies, and the promises these technologies may hold for transportation oper-
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ations and the people they serve. In addition, the researchers conducted a focus group that
included transit CEOs, CIOs, and senior-level technology personnel from U.S. public trans-
portation agencies to discuss obstacles that impede the adoption of current and near-term
information technologies in public transportation and mobility services. Finally, the
researchers describe five emerging technologies, how they might be applied, the range of
costs, and the benefits of each.
Volumes issued under TCRP Report 84 may be found on the TRB website at http://www.
trb.org/news/blurb_browse.asp?id=1. Click on "Transit Cooperative Research Program"
under the "Project Reports" heading.)
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CONTENTS
1 Summary
7 Chapter 1 Introduction and Research Approach
7 1.1 Project Overview
8 1.2 Approach
11 Chapter 2 Findings on Current Technologies
11 2.1 Value of Current Technologies
34 2.2 Methods for Improving the Success of Technology Implementations
55 2.3 Prerequisites for Improved Technology Implementations
59 Chapter 3 Findings on Emerging Technologies
59 3.1 Agency Perspectives on Future Technologies
60 3.2 Emerging Technologies
69 Chapter 4 Conclusions
69 4.1 Improving Technology Implementations
70 4.2 Disseminating Study Findings
73 Glossary of Acronyms
76 Appendices
