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Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers (2009)

Chapter: Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14277.
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70 This chapter summarizes the major findings and conclu- sions of the study and presents recommendations. Conclusions are organized into four categories, the first three of which focus on the primary study objectives related to the national experi- ences with, and implications of, transit agency participation in 511 telephone information systems. The fourth category of conclusions pertains to the implications that call center tech- nologies and practices used outside the transit industry hold for transit agencies. Recommendations are organized into three categories. The first category provides guidance that will assist transit agen- cies and 511 system administrators in determining their ap- proaches to transit information content and features on 511. The second category provides transit agencies guidance on advanced call center strategies overall. The third category of recommendations, which are addressed to TCRP, identify a plan for implementing study findings. 4.1 Conclusions Study conclusions are summarized in the sections that follow. 4.1.1 Transit Agency Participation in 511 Systems The most fundamental objective of this study was to re- search transit agency experience with 511 telephone infor- mation systems and, based on that research, summarize the opportunities, costs, benefits, and risks associated with 511 participation. The overall conclusion is that for the vast ma- jority of transit agencies, participation in a 511 system will impose no significant costs or risks. Participation in a 511 sys- tem is very unlikely to increase the total number of calls to a transit customer service center and in almost every case no special transit agency technologies or capabilities are needed to enable participation. However, it was also found that typ- ical participation in a 511 system is unlikely to provide any significant direct benefits to most transit customers or to the transit agency. Participation in a 511 system demonstrates support for the concept of 511 as a multimodal resource, strengthens part- nering relationships with the 511 system administrator, and may provide useful information to the relatively few transit users who find their way to a 511 system. However, because 511 systems are very seldom effectively marketed to transit users and typically contain, at best, a subset of the informa- tion and resources available via the normally well-publicized transit agency customer service line, 511 systems will not rep- resent a key component of many transit agencies’ customer service strategies. The remainder of this section summarizes the major find- ings and elaborates on the conclusions related to transit agency participation in 511 systems. Conclusions are presented in five subsections. The first provides an overview of the num- ber of 511 systems that include transit information and the kind of transit information included. The second subsec- tion describes the lack of correlation between transit agency size and sophistication and 511 participation. The remaining three sections explore various facets of transit agency experi- ence with 511 gleaned from the 29 transit agency case studies that were completed. These facets include agencies’ rationale for 511 participation or non-participation, impacts of partic- ipation, and future 511-related plans. 4.1.1.1 National Overview of 511 Systems and Transit Participation Seven years after the FCC designation of 511 as the national telephone number for traveler information, many 511 systems have been deployed but numerous areas of the country still lack 511 systems. Forty-two 511 systems are operational in the United States; 30 of them are statewide systems and 12 cover only specific regions. Fifteen states have no 511 systems at all. C H A P T E R 4 Conclusions and Recommendations

Several major metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Dallas, do not have 511 systems. Many 511 systems are not new telephone information sys- tems, but rather are 10-digit telephone information systems (usually toll-free) that existed for many years prior to the designation of 511. In these cases, “implementation of 511” has meant merely working with the telephone companies to convert switches so that, in addition to continued viability of the traditional 10-digit number, callers can now also access the systems by dialing 511. Many of these traditional phone systems that have been converted to 511 were, and still are, operated or financially supported by state departments of transportation. These systems either only provide highway information or are traditionally and primarily focused on, and known for, highway information. It is likely that these factors significantly influenced some transit agency experi- ences with 511. Nationally, transit agency participation in 511 systems is quite variable and limited overall. The 511 Deployment Coalition’s guidelines recommend that at the very least, tran- sit agency participation on every 511 system should include basic information on the service provided by each and every transit agency in the 511 coverage area (e.g., transit agency service area, schedules, fares, service disruptions) and an op- tion to transfer from the 511 system directly to each transit agency’s customer service line. Current reality falls far short of this minimum recommen- dation. Just over half (22) of the 42 total 511 systems in oper- ation in the United States have no transit presence or content. Of the 20 systems that do have some transit presence, only 9 meet the minimum requirements recommended by the 511 Deployment Coalition. For most transit agencies participating in 511, their regional 511 system includes very limited information and options for their agency. Typically, transit agencies can provide a message (recorded themselves or recorded for them by the 511 system operator) describing any service disruptions. However, few transit agencies make any significant use of this feature. Fur- ther, the telephone number of the transit agency is listed and/or an option to transfer to the transit agency is provided. Exceptions are rare, such as the San Francisco Bay Area 511 system, which has many transit agencies that include sub- menus with several categories of prerecorded information in addition to the call transfer option. 4.1.1.2 Influence of Transit Agency Size, Call Center Sophistication, and Participation in Other Traveler Information Systems Transit agency size was found to be closely correlated with the complexity or sophistication of call center operations, in- cluding the use of technologies, performance metrics, and quality monitoring. Not surprisingly, medium and large agen- cies were found to utilize more advanced approaches than small agencies. No clear relationship was found, however, between call center sophistication and 511 participation. Agencies with more robust 511 participation, that is, those that are inte- grated with 511 (having the ability to transfer directly from the 511 system to the transit agency customer service line) were not any more advanced in their call center practices than agencies with less advanced call centers. In fact, many of the various advanced call center practices were more common among transit agencies not integrated with 511 systems. A correlation was observed between transit agency integra- tion with 511 telephone systems and their participation in other broader traveler information systems (e.g., 511 web- sites, highway DMS, etc.). This simply suggests that the types of agencies that are willing to get involved in 511 are the same types of agencies interested in other non-transit traveler infor- mation outlets. It does not suggest that any particular capabil- ities are required for transit agencies to benefit from 511. Based on these comparisons and corroborating findings from the 29 transit agency case studies (including that 511 par- ticipation does not seem to increase the total calls to transit), it does not appear that participation or integration with 511 re- quires any special transit agency capabilities (e.g., technology, staffing, hours of operation, etc.). Any transit agency with a phone number that can field a call transferred from 511 pos- sesses the minimum requirements for integrating with 511 and potentially will benefit from 511. 4.1.1.3 Transit Rationale for Participation/ Non-Participation in 511 The 29 case studies included in this study indicated that transit agency decisions to participate or not participate in 511 are primarily a function of whether they were offered the opportunity by the 511 system sponsor. Almost every agency that was offered the opportunity to participate is participat- ing. For most of the transit agencies that are not participating in 511, it is simply because there is no 511 system in their re- gion or the 511 system sponsor has not included any transit information. The decision to participate in 511 was not complicated or difficult for most transit agencies. They did not expect any significant, direct benefits to their customer service opera- tions as a result of 511 participation. Rather, they wanted to demonstrate their support for regional, multimodal traveler information. Practically none of the transit agencies were asked to make any resource contribution to 511 other than participating in planning meetings. So, although they did not necessarily expect any big pay-off from 511, they saw no real reason not to participate. Most agencies view 511 not as 71

a replacement for their own customer information activi- ties, but simply as one more way to potentially reach their customers. Although some transit agencies are fairly cynical about the value of 511 and its importance to their cus- tomers, some feel that 511 may help them reach potential transit customers who are not familiar with the direct phone number to the transit agency, including tourists and new residents. Overall, the prevailing view of 511 participation among the case study transit agencies is characterized as “Why not? It can not hurt and it’s just another way to try to reach and serve our customers.” Very few transit agencies have made any attempt to shift calls from their traditional customer service line to 511 and almost all of the marketing on the part of 511 system sponsors is targeted to travelers in general. For most transit agencies, the extent of 511 promotion is limited to including the 511 logo on their printed materials. A rare exception is Alameda County Transit in Oakland, CA. They have embraced 511 as their primary customer service number and market it as such to their customers. More precisely, they embraced the regional traveler information number that was the precursor to 511 in the region, but have continued this approach since conver- sion of that traditional 10-digit number to 511. 4.1.1.4 Impacts of 511 Participation on Transit Agencies Major findings and conclusions related to the following types of 511 participation impacts on transit agencies are dis- cussed in the sections that follow: • Costs, technology, and staffing; • Positive impacts (benefits); • Statistical evidence of 511 impacts (e.g., call transfers from 511 to a transit call center); • Using 511 as a potential alternative to a transit agency IVR; and • Other issues encountered. Costs, technology, and staffing. Most transit agencies report no discernable negative impacts of 511 participation. None feel that the total number of calls to their call center has increased to any noticeable degree, or have experienced any associated adverse impacts on their call center opera- tions (wait times, staffing, hours of operation, etc.). Most transit agencies participating in 511 hear nothing about 511, pro or con, from their customers. For almost all of the tran- sit agencies, there has been no direct cost to participate in 511. Investments have been limited to staff participation in 511-related meetings, which varies from a very minor, to a fairly significant, time investment. None of the transit agen- cies studied has to pay for the cost of the call transfer from 511 to their customer information line. The few exceptions in regard to cost impacts are the several transit agencies who, at the time of the interview (mid-2007), participated in the South Florida 511 system. In the only ex- ample of cost-sharing found, these South Florida transit agen- cies shared the very large annual operations and maintenance cost (about $2.5 million per year) of the transit component of the regional 511 phone system and website. These arrange- ments have changed since the time of the interview. Hardly any of the transit agencies we studied spend any significant time or effort on maintaining information on 511 because hardly any of them have any real information on 511. In the few cases where transit agencies do provide consider- able information on 511, there can be significant effort asso- ciated with maintaining it. Many 511 systems that include transit give transit agencies the ability to provide floodgate messages regarding service disruptions at the top of the tran- sit menu or, less commonly, at the top of the overall 511 menu. However, most transit agencies do not take much ad- vantage of this capability because they do not have many dis- ruptions, because by the time they get the information on 511 the disruption is over, or because they do not want to take the time to do it. Few transit agencies have extensive prerecorded informa- tion or real-time vehicle arrival/departure information on 511. Agencies in San Francisco and San Diego are two exceptions. Transit agencies with that sort of information on 511 can spend considerable time setting up 511 menu structures, estab- lishing formats for transferring their route, schedule, and other data to 511, and periodically updating their 511 infor- mation. Most transit agencies do not have much informa- tion on 511 systems and spend very little time setting it up or maintaining it. Positive impacts (benefits). There are a number of pos- itive impacts or benefits for transit agencies participating in 511. Most transit agencies feel that participation in 511 helps maintain their place at the regional transportation table and strengthen their relationship with other agencies. Some the- orize that 511 may be helping them reach tourists and new- comers to their region who may know about 511 from their experiences elsewhere and who may not know how to reach the transit agency directly. There is one theoretical 511-related economic benefit asso- ciated with non-local toll-free calls, although none of the agencies interviewed cited it for their agency. Many transit agencies make long distance calls to their customer service center free to their customers. In regions where a single tran- sit agency service area includes several area codes, this can be a sizable expense. Most 511 calls are likewise toll-free. Since most 511 systems that transfer calls to transit agencies do so at no expense to the transit agencies, long distance transit calls routed through 511 rather than going directly to the transit agency save the transit agency money. 72

None of the transit agencies studied identified this as a mo- tivation for their participation in 511, or cited such cost sav- ings. However, one agency did indicate that this had been a strong motivation for another transit agency in the region, which adopted the regional information number that pre- ceded 511 as that agency’s primary customer service number. This other agency had reportedly saved considerable money as a result. Interestingly, the agency that shared this story felt that, for their own agency, this cost savings did not offset what they perceived as the downside to routing their own calls through 511. Statistical evidence of 511 impacts on transit. None of the transit agencies reported any discernable increase in call volumes to their customer information line as a result of their 511 participation. In all but one case, those observations are purely subjective. The transit agencies do not have access to any statistics quantifying call transfers from 511, 511 menu selections related to their agency, or any other transit-related 511 operating statistics. Although most agencies do not view such information as critical, feeling that if there was an im- pact they would be aware of it already, a number of them did express interest in such data and indicated that they would follow up with their 511 system operator. In this study, the data collection focus is the transit agen- cies, and since only one had any 511 statistics, a comprehen- sive assessment of transit-related 511 statistics nationwide has not been performed. However, in the course of our re- search, and based on past 511 projects, the study team was able to collect a sampling of transit-related 511 statistics from some 511 system operators who had these data available. The published 511 Deployment Coalition statistics related to transit are limited to the percentage of all 511 calls nationwide that involve a transit request. Overall, the transit-related statistics we collected were quite variable from one 511 sys- tem to another. Very few 511 systems (namely MTC in the San Francisco Bay Area) track more than transit call trans- fers and/or high-level transit menu selections. Based on the limited data, transit-related menu selections or calls are a relatively small proportion of 511 activity, ranging from 2% to about 24%. The highest percentages are observed in the Bay Area, where transit has been a major component of regional traveler information phone service. The volume of calls transferred from 511 to Bay Area transit agencies ranges from several hundred per month to several thousand per month. Using 511 as an alternative to a transit agency IVR sys- tem. None of the transit agencies interviewed view partici- pation in a 511 system as an alternative to investing in their own IVR (many transit agencies indicated that they had no need for an IVR at all). The agencies cited concerns about loss of control over the format and quality of their information, and a number of them indicated that they did not think the 511 system operator would be willing or able to provide the desired IVR functionality. Although feeling that 511 was not an IVR substitute for them, a few transit agencies did suggest that 511 might be able to provide at least some of the IVR- type functionality for those transit agencies that cannot afford to implement their own IVR system. Other issues encountered. Overall, very few of the transit agencies studied identified any particular issues in re- gard to their 511 participation. For most agencies, their in- volvement in 511 is very limited (typically just a call transfer option), so there is little opportunity for issues. Some transit agencies noted concerns about the quality of the voice recog- nition on their region’s 511 system, especially when it was first implemented. The two major exceptions—areas where there are some significant 511 issues—are in the San Francisco Bay Area and in South Florida (thus the decision to include site visits to these areas as part of the case study data collection activities). In the Bay Area after several years of significant transit in- volvement in 511, one of the larger developing issues is that the 511 system sponsor is finding it costly to maintain all of the transit information on the system. They had originally as- sumed responsibility for maintaining and updating the tran- sit agencies’ 511 content (including use of professional voice talent to record messages) because they were concerned that if they did not do so, transit agencies would not participate. Now, realizing how much time and effort goes into these ac- tivities, and finding it a challenge to retrieve this information from transit agencies who do not necessarily demonstrate an interest in 511, MTC is reassessing their approach. Another significant issue in the Bay Area has to do with ex- panding the 511 vehicle arrival time feature from a single- agency demonstration to include many other transit agencies throughout the region. The expansion poses many technical challenges, including a possible regional transit stop identifi- cation system and conversion of different agencies’ various schedule, route, and vehicle status databases into a common format for use by the 511 system. It is also not yet clear how much it will cost to implement and operate a much expanded version of the arrival time feature. Another less significant issue surfaced in the Bay Area research concerns the relation- ship between 511 systems and municipal 311 staffed telephone information systems—namely, how to differentiate the sys- tems clearly to the public. There are three issues associated with transit agencies’ expe- riences with the South Florida 511 system. The first issue is the cost sharing relationship wherein the transit agencies were pay- ing (arrangements have since changed) approximately $2.5 mil- lion annually to support the cost of the transit component of the 511 telephone service and website. The agencies, under- standably, found this to be a tremendous burden. 73

The second issue, at least for Broward County Transit, con- cerns the trip planner feature. Plans to implement a telephone version were never realized (not all of the transit agencies wanted it) and, to varying degrees, the transit agencies feel the web version has fallen short of their expectations. This is closely related to the cost sharing arrangement because much of the complexity and associated cost of the transit portion of the 511 system is directly related to the trip planner function. This complex function is not included in any other 511 sys- tems, although some transit agencies do provide this feature on their own phone systems. The third issue is one that also was cited by a few other agencies and pertains to the challenges experienced in con- verting transit agencies’ schedule and route database into a format that can be accommodated in the 511 system. As re- ported by other agencies, the effort to work out the initial conversion protocol can be substantial, and subsequent periodic data transfers can still require a fair amount of man- ual validation. 4.1.1.5 Transit Agencies’ 511 Plans Most transit agencies are passively involved in 511 and they experience no significant impacts, issues, or complica- tions associated with 511. Therefore, they perceive 511 in a vaguely positive way, or are, at worst, ambivalent about it. Either way, their 511 situation is stable; they neither plan to enhance or decrease their 511 involvement. There are only two notable exceptions. The first is, again, the Bay Area, where a number of agencies are considering adding their real-time vehicle arrival/departure time information to 511 and where the 511 system sponsor is implementing a type of “my 511” that personalizes features for transit on the 511 phone system. Also, the sponsor is considering to what extent they may continue to update some of the transit agencies’ information on their 511 system. The second exception is South Florida, where, because of the high cost of transit 511 operations and maintenance, as well as concerns about 511 trip planner performance, the transit agencies are not sure that they will continue to participate in 511. Also, an over- arching statewide 511 system has emerged in Florida (part of the statewide SunGuide family of ITS services). Associated with that, the South Florida 511 system sponsor, FDOT District VI, is changing their approach to the regional 511 system in ways that would require transit agencies to admin- ister their own 511 vendor support contract if they want to be included in the 511 system. The only other outlook-related findings pertain to various types of interest on the part of transit agencies that seem to have been spurred by our contact with them for this study. For example, after we asked agencies about transit-related 511 statistics (in some cases telling them that such statistics were available from the 511 system operator in their region), a few agencies indicated that they intended to follow up with their 511 system sponsor. Also, several transit agencies we inter- viewed were unaware of 511 and/or of the existence of 511 in their area and indicated that they would look into 511. 4.1.2 Perspectives of 511 System Administrators on Transit Participation Conclusions related to 511 system administration are based on interviews with 12 system administrators represent- ing 511 systems throughout the United States. Three main conclusions are presented. 4.1.2.1 Buy-In on 511 as a Multimodal Resource The results of the 12 interviews indicate that some 511 system administrators were aware of the 511 Deployment Coalition’s recommendations for minimum transit content and features and faced no significant barriers to including at least some transit, but decided to not include any transit content. This suggests that despite multimodal being a defin- ing attribute of the U.S. DOT 511 concept, some agencies may have never truly embraced 511 as a multimodal traveler information resource. Perspectives contributing to these decisions seem to include the opinion that the vast major- ity of 511 callers will be looking for highway information anyway (sometimes cited as a consequence of the fact that 511 is just a new name for a highway information-only tele- phone traveler information system in operation for many years), and that transit information is available directly from transit agencies. The extent to which some 511 administrators have not bought in to the concept of 511 as a multimodal resource suggests that they have either not considered, or do not agree with, the basic rationale underlying the inclusion of multi- modal information. They may not understand or agree that in their region consolidating traffic and transit information can help facilitate mode choice decisions, that consolidating information on multiple transit agencies will eliminate the need to make multiple calls, or that 511 will be an easier number to find and remember than transit agency customer service numbers. Of course, they may be correct that the transit-511 rationale is not valid in their area. This possibil- ity is supported by the fact that many of the 511 systems lacking any transit information serve states that have few, if any, very large urban areas served by multiple transit providers, and where variable and severe traffic congestion results in a large number of daily mode choice decisions. 74

The role of these issues in determining a transit 511 strategy is explored in Section 4.2.1. 4.1.2.2 Coordination between 511 and Transit In several cases, the current state of the 511 system in re- gard to transit content was identified as something that was considered some time ago, when the system was initially de- signed, but has not been reconsidered. It also appears that if transit considerations at that time included a dialogue be- tween the 511 administrator and the transit agency, that dia- logue was fairly limited and, once completed, the resulting decision has not been reconsidered. Finally, in several cases, the recollections of the 511 system administrator are incon- sistent with those of the transit agency—at least the specific individuals that were interviewed. Specifically, there are sev- eral cases where the administrator says that transit was invited to participate but declined and the transit agency represen- tative says that they do not remember ever being given the opportunity to participate. These discrepancies may be the result of imprecise memory or staff turnover. Regardless, they underscore how inter-agency communication and coordina- tion that may have occurred long ago, and which may or may not remain valid or even remembered by the participants, continues to fundamentally shape current 511 operations. 4.1.2.3 Transit 511 Website Participation A few of the 511 administrators interviewed indicated that the fact that transit information is included in the web ver- sion of their 511 system played some role in their decision (and/or the decision of the transit agencies) not to include transit, or not to include much transit, in their 511 telephone system. For example, Oregon cited this as a consideration and Alaska has made adding transit to their website a higher pri- ority than adding it to their telephone system. This suggests that one set of recommendations or criteria pertaining to transit and 511 may not be appropriate to cover both the web and telephone versions of 511. 4.1.3 Transit Customer Perspectives on 511 Study conclusions related to transit riders—both their per- ceptions regarding telephone transit information as well as transit information on 511—are based primarily on the focus group conducted with six Utah Transit Authority riders in Salt Lake City. Although the limited scale of the research pre- cludes definitive conclusions, a number of informative pre- liminary conclusions can be identified, then organized into those pertaining to transit information on IVR systems in general and those pertaining to the rationale for providing transit information on 511. 4.1.3.1 Viability of Automated Transit Telephone Information Although there was a minimal amount of experience with automated systems (particularly transit systems), transit rid- ers were supportive of accessing transit information on an IVR information system. Focus group participants said they were willing to rely primarily on an automated system pro- vided that the information was accurate and comprehensive and that an operator was available if needed. Interest in an automated system is greater when real-time (vehicle arrival/ departure time) information is available. This finding, along with the fact that many transit agencies have invested in, and have derived benefit from, IVR systems, indicates that there is nothing about transit traveler informa- tion that makes it inherently unsuitable for dissemination via IVR systems. Although automated information systems can- not address all of the information needs of every transit cus- tomer, they can be a very important part of a transit agency’s overall customer service strategy. Further, this suggests that providing transit information through a 511 system (which, by definition is automated) is fundamentally viable. It also validates the 511 Deployment Coalition guidance stating that call transfers to transit agency customer service should be provided from 511, since focus group participants expressed belief that access to an operator is important. 4.1.3.2 Transit Information on 511 As noted previously, the focus group and the successful experiences of transit agencies indicate that providing tran- sit information through an IVR is viable. Further, the op- tion of a call transfer to a transit call taker is vital. However, the focus group findings (as well as the limited 511 system usage statistics for transit that are available) suggest that other parts of the rationale for transit on 511 will not always be valid. Specifically, the focus group results do not support the notion that having transit information on 511 is always ben- eficial because seekers of transit information might find it easier to find or remember 511 rather than the phone num- ber of specific transit agencies. Despite many years of 511 marketing in the Salt Lake region, focus group participants did not feel that 511 was very visible and found it unlikely that a newcomer or visitor to the region would learn about the local 511 system earlier than they would learn about the heavily-marketed and easily remembered UTA customer service number (RIDE-UTA) or find it easier than the UTA phone number. The focus groups also indicated that in many communities around the country like Salt Lake City in which all or almost all public transportation is provided by a single 75

agency, there is no value in 511 as a consolidated source— a one-stop shop—of transit information for multiple transit providers. The rationale that providing transit information on 511 offers a consolidated, convenient source of transit and traffic information and, therefore, can facilitate mode choice deci- sions, was not conclusively addressed in the focus groups. However, there were some promising indications. First, the participants felt strongly that, in principle, if 511 is intended as a multimodal resource, transit information certainly should be included, even if it is available only via a call transfer out of 511. Second, although the findings are limited by the fact that most of the focus group participants did not drive, they did think that, in theory, it would be useful to have access to both traffic and transit information in one call. Overall, although ultimately inconclusive, the focus group results suggest that there can be some value in having transit information on 511 but all of the rationale for doing so is not universally applicable. Guidance to transit agencies and 511 system administrators in deciding whether, and how, to in- clude transit on 511, given their particular circumstances, is addressed in Section 4.2.1. The focus group results also indicate that even when there is some value in providing transit information via 511, any benefits of doing so are conditioned on the 511 system being fundamentally sound. Specifically, if voice recognition is used it should work well and any information on the system— traffic and transit—should be accurate and current. 4.1.4 Transit Agency Call Center Strategies A secondary objective of this study was to compare transit agency telephone customer service strategies with those em- ployed by other types of organizations and to identify any technologies and practices that should be given increased consideration by transit agencies. The overall conclusion is that although many transit agencies use some of the same advanced technologies and techniques employed by non- transit organizations, most transit agencies generally do not use as many of those methods as do non-transit organizations serving a comparable number of customer calls. Therefore, transit agencies are encouraged to give increased considera- tion to state-of-the-practice call center tools and techniques. Even small agencies that will not require sophisticated meth- ods may find useful ways to improve quality and efficiency. The largest agencies may find that some of the most sophis- ticated technologies that they are not using currently may provide additional benefits to their operation. The remainder of this section summarizes the major find- ings and elaborates on conclusions related to transit agency call center strategies. 4.1.4.1 The Role of the Telephone in Transit Customer Information The transit agencies interviewed report that trip planning information is the most important type of data for their cus- tomers. Specifically, most customers are interested mainly in pretrip planning, schedules, and on-time status information. Most transit customers need schedule and route information when they are making an unfamiliar trip. Transit agencies’ overall customer information strategies are aligned closely with these needs. Pretrip planning information is a major focus for them, and vehicle arrival/departure time and service delay information are an increasing area of customer expecta- tion and transit agency focus. Transit agencies use a variety of mechanisms and media to provide information to their customers. However, they focus on printed material, websites, and telephone information. Most of the transit agencies interviewed in this study feel that many of their customer telephone inquiries need to be ad- dressed by a live customer service call taker, either because the callers simply prefer it, or because the complexity of the ques- tion demands it. Transit agency interviewees were asked what specific role, need, or type of customer or customer informa- tion request they target with their phone systems. Their most common response was that they see the phone as catering to those customers who simply prefer to speak to a “real person.” Other factors noted by a number of agencies included cus- tomers’ lack of access to, or difficulty with, the Internet, and some senior or disabled riders’ particular need and preference for speaking with a live operator. Transit agencies are increas- ingly using IVR systems and sophisticated menus on their customer service lines to answer or direct customer ques- tions. However, most agencies see live call takers as a core component of their customer information approach and a key way to establish and maintain customer relationships. These findings have important implications for transit agen- cies and the role of 511. First, because the telephone is a core, critical aspect of transit agencies’ overall strategy for commu- nicating with their customers, changes to that approach—such as participating in 511 to varying degrees—are major decisions. Agencies are protective of their customers and very concerned that customer needs and preferences are well met. Second, many transit agencies feel that a high percentage of their cus- tomers’ telephone inquiries will require interaction with a call taker well versed in the details of the agency’s specific transit services. Since few 511 systems have live operators, most tran- sit agencies will not consider 511 as a mechanism for provid- ing live operator customer service. Finally, many 511 systems do not provide robust IVR functionality of the sort necessary for transit trip planning. Even if they did, many transit agen- cies would not entrust this responsibility to another agency. Together, these factors mean that, at best, most transit agen- 76

cies are likely to consider 511 as a marginal component of their customer information strategy. 4.1.4.2 Implications of Telephone Information Strategies of Non-Transit Organizations Not unexpectedly, it was found that, as in the transit industry, the complexity and sophistication of the telephone information strategies of non-transit organizations varies significantly according to the size of the organization and their call volume. Large organizations with high call volumes gener- ally use more technology and make greater utilization of a wider range of performance measures in managing their operations. Also somewhat expectedly, it was found that overall (espe- cially for large organizations), non-transit organizations gen- erally take greater advantage of a larger number of advanced technologies than do transit agencies. That is partly because, in comparison to transit organizations, some companies have • More resources to spend on customer information, • Greater senior management support for technology in- vestments, • Greater awareness of the latest call center technology and practices, and • More experience with successfully adopting new tech- nologies. Indeed, the recently completed TCRP Project J-09 Task 12 provides ample evidence of the lagging technology adoption and success of many transit agencies compared to their private- sector counterparts. (63) The differences between transit and non-transit call center sophistication may also reflect, to some extent, differences in how organizations view customers and the use of technology to assist them. Overall, although both transit and non-transit organizations are increasingly turning to technology to try to automate as many customer information requests as possible, transit agencies seem to use technology somewhat less inten- sively. This may be related to the previous factors (funding, agency support, etc.), or it may be that transit agencies are even more concerned about customer satisfaction, and poten- tial adverse customer reactions to being denied easy access to a live operator than are non-transit organizations. Overall, findings in this area hold no real implication on transit 511 activities per se. That is because, as described ear- lier in this chapter, technology and other aspects of call cen- ter sophistication are not a requirement for 511 success or correlated with individual transit agencies’ 511 decisions. However, these findings suggest that many transit agencies may benefit from greater utilization of technologies and more sophisticated performance metrics in their telephone cus- tomer service operations. 4.2 Recommendations Recommendations are included in three main categories. The first category presents the 511 decision-making guidance for transit agencies that is the primary product of this study. The second category of recommendations pertains to transit agencies’ telephone customer information strategies overall, focusing on the use of advanced technologies and techniques. The third category presents recommendations for implement- ing the results of the study. 4.2.1 Guidance for Determining a Specific 511 Strategy Overall, the decision of whether, and to what extent, a tran- sit agency will participate in their region’s 511 telephone in- formation system is not one that can, or should, be made by the transit agency alone. As elaborated in the discussion that follows, the ultimate decision will take into account a number of factors pertaining both to the transit system and the 511 system. Therefore, the most fundamental recommendation is that transit agency consideration of 511 should be con- ducted within the context of a dialog with the 511 system administrator. Specific issues and considerations to be included within that dialogue are noted in the discussion that follows. The guidance presented in this section all pertains only to decisions regarding 511 telephone systems. Although this study did not focus on 511 websites, our research suggests that 511 administrators and transit agencies have approached web- site decisions and telephone decisions very differently. This guidance also assumes that the 511 system in question does not have a live operator. Full automation—that is, no live operator—was one of the original defining attributes of the 511 concept. Only 2 of the 42 operational 511 systems in the United States have operators. In their guidance, the 511 Deployment Coalition identifies the two potential categories of transit participation in 511 as (1) minimum information (referred to in the remainder of this discussion as basic information) and (2) additional infor- mation. The results of this study indicate that the considera- tions and options related to transit 511 participation do align closely with these two distinct categories and, therefore, the guidance that follows is organized around them. 4.2.1.1 General Recommendations on the Applicability of Basic and Additional Transit Information on 511 According to the results of this study, as summarized in Figure 10 and consistent with the 511 Deployment Coali- tion perspective reflected in their guidance, most transit agencies will probably derive sufficient benefit to warrant 77

basic information participation in 511. However, the level of additional information participation is probably appropriate for far fewer agencies. In regard to the basic information por- tion of Figure 10, service disruptions and call transfers are shown as slightly less widely applicable and cost-effective because, unlike general information and listing of a transit phone number, these features have an on-going cost and/or maintenance component. Likewise, due to the even greater costs and challenges associated with the various types of additional information, in many cases, this information and these features will not be highly cost-effective on 511. Detailed guidance on the decisions related to both basic and additional transit information on 511 is presented in the subsections that follow. 4.2.1.2 Basic Transit Information The basic information identified by the 511 Deployment Coalition is the logical place to start with any transit 511 deci- sion. The Deployment Coalition recommends including the following for each transit agency within the 511 service area: • A description of the agency’s service area, • Schedule and fare information, • Information about service disruptions, and • A connection (call transfer out of 511) to the transit agency’s customer service center. The results of this study generally support the 511 Deploy- ment Coalition’s recommendation that every 511 system in- clude this basic information for each transit agency. In many cases, transit agencies will not derive significant direct benefits from participation because 511 systems are often not effectively promoted to transit users and most transit users will find call- ing a transit agency just as easy and more effective (since the 511 system will probably not have all of the answers to their questions). However, assuming the 511 administrator embraces 511 as a multimodal resource and that—as is almost always the case—transit is not expected to help pay for 511, even the minor benefit of 511 participation makes it a good idea for most transit agencies. Those benefits are twofold, as follows: 1. Participation in 511 demonstrates commitment and sup- port to the concept of multimodal coordination, and 2. There are probably some callers to 511 (e.g., newcomers or visitors to the area who may know about, or learn of, 511 before they find the local transit agency phone num- ber) who will find the basic transit information, especially the call transfer option, convenient. Of course, in those rare cases where a 511 system is heavily and effectively marketed to transit customers, the benefits will be much more dramatic and many, rather than just a few, 511 callers will derive value. Table 15 summarizes the specific fac- tors that will impact decisions made by a transit agency and a 78 Nu m be r o f T ra ns it Ag en ci es Almost All Few G e n e ra l S ch e du le & Fa re In fo . Se rv ice D is ru pt io n s Ca ll T ra ns fe r R ou te -le ve l S ch ed ul e & Fa re In fo . R ea l-t im e Ar riv a l / D ep ar tu re in fo . In te ra ct ive T rip Pl a n n e r Basic Information (minimum recommended by 511 Deployment Coalition) Additional Information Tr an sit Ph on e # Type of Transit Information on 511 Figure 10. General recommendations for transit agency 511 information.

511 system administrator regarding basic transit informa- tion on 511. 4.2.1.3 Additional Transit Information As described in the previous section, in most cases the sim- ple and compelling rationale for transit agencies to provide basic information on 511 amounts to a limited cost/limited return equation. Therefore, it will be easy for most transit agencies to decide to participate assuming their 511 system administrator provides the opportunity. However, the deci- sion to provide additional information on 511—information that holds the potential to provide significantly greater value to 511 callers looking for transit information but which is much more expensive to effectively deploy and maintain—is a much more complicated decision. Overall, far fewer transit agencies will find the value of pro- viding additional (or advanced) transit information and fea- tures like detailed route and schedule information or real-time information worth the cost to do so. The strongest argument exists where there is significant value in providing traffic and transit information in one place (especially when information is often needed for multiple transit agencies). In many regions, this will not be the case for the following reasons: • Few travelers need traffic and transit information for any given trip (that is, mode choice decisions or multimodal trips are not made frequently), • The 511 system is well established as a traffic-only resource and there is no ability or commitment to change that iden- tity, and/or • The region is served by a single transit provider and it is easier to call that agency directly. Table 16 presents a full list of factors that can guide deci- sions from transit agencies and 511 system administrators regarding providing advanced transit information and fea- tures on 511. 4.2.2 Transit Utilization of Advanced Telephone Customer Service Technologies and Practices The two primary recommendations related to transit agen- cies’ use of advanced technologies and practices are (1) con- sider greater utilization of proven, advanced technologies and techniques and (2) consider N11 systems as part of overall customer service strategy. 4.2.2.1 Consider Greater Utilization of Proven, Advanced Technologies and Techniques Although transit agencies utilize many of the same advanced call center technologies and techniques as do non-transit or- ganizations, non-transit call centers tend to use more of the advanced methods than do transit call centers with compara- ble call volumes. Transit agencies of varying sizes are encour- aged to evaluate the potential benefits of more extensive utiliza- tion of advanced call center technologies and practices. This could include medium-sized agencies implementing IVR systems or large agencies enhancing the sophistication of their IVR systems to serve a wide range of customer inquiries. 79 Decision Factor Implication Local 511 embraces national 511 vision of a multimodal resource If the 511 system administrator views the system as a highway/traffic-only resource, it is likely that a transit agency will not have any opportunity to participate in 511. If transit does participate, they are not likely to derive any significant benefit. Transit agency required to contribute to 511 system costs If the transit agency is required to contribute significantly toward the cost of the 511 system, the benefits to transit often will be less than the costs. Cost of call transfers from 511 to transit agencies If resources for 511 are extremely limited, the cost of call transfers from 511 may outweigh the relatively minor benefits of 511 participation that many transit agencies will realize. In those cases, the transit agency phone number can be listed on 511 rather than providing a call transfer capability. Commitments to keep service disruption information accurate and up to date The relatively minor benefit (e.g., a resource for those proportionally few travelers who may find their way to a given 511 system looking for transit information) of this information is lost if the information is not accurate and current. Level of detail of schedule and fare information If the schedule and fare information is very detailed and therefore likely to change often, the effort necessary to keep it accurate and current will often outweigh the value of having it on 511. It is assumed that the 511 Deployment Coalition’s guidance to include schedule and fare information refers to high-level schedule and fare information, which is almost always worth listing on 511. Table 15. Decision factors related to basic transit information on 511.

80 Decision Factor Implication 511 System Factors Technical and financial capability of the 511 system to support advanced transit content/features Limitations of the 511 system in regard to the number of callers, complexity of the menu system, and ability to effectively interface with transit databases may preclude advanced transit information and features on 511. Funding limitations may prevent upgrades to the 511 system to support these features and/or the 511 system administrator may not have the staff resources needed to carry out the on-going activities associated with these more advanced transit features. Ability and commitment to market 511 to transit users The value of transit information on 511 is a function of the number of transit information seekers who use 511. If a 511 system is not historically viewed and used as a transit information resource, the absence of an on-going marketing campaign targeted to transit users means that the value of having advanced transit information on 511 usually will not warrant the cost. Transit Agency Factors Technical and other resources necessary to keep information accurate and current on 511 Just as the 511 system administrator may lack the necessary resources, so might the transit agency. Unless a 511 system administrator is willing to take sole responsibility for obtaining information updates from the transit agency (and most administrators will be unable or unwilling to do so indefinitely), the absence of transit agency resources will preclude advanced information on 511. Ability and commitment to market 511 to transit users In order for the investment in advanced transit information on 511 to be worthwhile, either the 511 system administrator or the transit agency must be willing and able to commit to a long-term marketing strategy to establish and maintain 511 as a multimodal resource. Transit agency has, or intends to implement, its own IVR If a transit agency has, or is planning to implement, their own IVR, in most cases there is little benefit in making the same information and features also available directly on the 511 system. The exceptions to this include regions where 511 is effectively marketed to support multimodal planning and many travelers make mode- choice decisions frequently. If the transit agency does not have their own IVR but wants one, then the 511 system may provide an opportunity to fill that need either as a stop-gap until the transit agency can implement their own IVR, or as a long-term strategy that eliminates the need for a transit agency IVR. The suitability of 511 as a long-term replacement for a transit agency IVR will depend on effective marketing of 511 to transit users and the feasibility of maintaining accurate and up-to-date information on the 511 system. Number of customer inquiries that could be handled all or in part via IVR If very few transit customer inquiries can be addressed with an IVR system, the cost to provide such information on 511 probably is not justified. If many inquiries could be so addressed, the decision will depend on other factors noted in this table (e.g., marketing, ability to keep information accurate, etc.). Current cost of long- distance charges for customer service calls In some cases, transit agencies pay a considerable amount for local long-distance calls to their customer service center (e.g., from within their service area but from a different area code). In these cases, if calls to 511 are toll free (and they almost always are) and the 511 system administrator pays for call transfers out of 511 to the transit agency, having transit information on 511 can reduce local long- distance costs for transit. Ability to effectively process current and anticipated transit customer service call volumes If a transit agency lacks an IVR and is struggling to keep up with incoming demand on their customer service line, providing extensive information on 511 can help a transit agency meet customer needs. Whether it makes more sense to meet those needs via 511 versus upgrades to their own call center will depend on the other factors as noted in this table. 511 system user interface The value of advanced transit content and features on 511 depend significantly on the ability of transit users to conveniently and reliably access that information. Impediments such as a poorly performing 511 voice recognition system or inconvenient placement of transit information in the 511 menu structure would argue against a significant investment in advanced transit information on 511. These impediments will pose a particular challenge to cell phone users and seniors. Table 16. Decision factors related to providing additional transit information on 511.

Other examples of technologies that may benefit large agen- cies include call volume demand forecasting, performance monitoring, and customer satisfaction monitoring software. The following potential benefits may be realized through greater utilization of advanced technologies and techniques at transit agencies: • Reducing the amount of manual, paper-based processes at large call centers by using workforce management technolo- gies that track daily work logs and automate most tasks; • Reducing the amount of time spent on repetitive informa- tion requests by implementing IVR systems and posting such information on the agency website; • Ensuring customer service quality for agencies with large call volumes (e.g., more than 1,000 calls per day) by using quality monitoring technologies; and • Improving customer management, particularly at those agencies that wish to provide personalized information such as service alerts, through the use of CRM and CIM software. 4.2.2.2 Consider N11 Systems as Part of an Overall Customer Service Strategy In addition to the 511 systems that were the focus of this study, there are other N11 systems operational in many com- munities, namely 311 (consolidated municipal services infor- mation) and 211 (social service agency referral information). Like 511, 211 and 311 systems can complement, and in the case of 311, may have major implications on transit agency cus- tomer service strategies. Therefore, transit agencies are strongly encouraged to consider whether and how these other N11 sys- tems, along with 511, may fit within their overall customer service strategy. Transit agencies that are entities of a munici- pal government are encouraged to engage with the municipal- ity early in any 311-related discussions so that transit agency considerations are appropriately taken into account and any changes can be phased in over time. 4.3 Plan for Implementing the Research Findings There are three audiences that will benefit most from the re- sults of this report. First, individual transit agencies should find these study results useful in shaping their approaches to 511 telephone information systems and to their call centers over- all. Second, 511 system administrators should also benefit from an improved understanding of the state-of-the-practice in re- gard to transit information and content and the factors that are appropriate to consider along with transit agencies in deter- mining 511 approaches. Third, the study results, in particular those summarizing the state-of-the-practice and the applica- bility of the underlying rationale for transit information, will be of benefit to the national 511 Deployment Coalition as they consider potential modifications to their guidance. All three of these target audiences may be reached through publication of a traditional TRB final report. As a supplement, presentations of study results at conferences and webinars will help put the study findings in the hands of the transit agency and 511 system administration personnel who can benefit most from it. Recommended APTA forums to reach Travel Environment Factors Number of transit trips that involve multiple transit providers Other considerations aside, it is much more valuable to have transit information on 511 when there are multiple transit providers in a region. Further, it is more valuable when many transit trips involve multiple providers because 511 callers can get information on all providers with a single call. When there is only one transit provider in a given travel market, the “one-stop shop” rationale for transit information on 511 does not apply. Number of travelers making mode choice decisions on a frequent basis (daily, weekly) The value of advanced transit information on 511 is significantly enhanced when many travelers make mode-choice decisions based on daily traffic conditions. Under those conditions, having traffic and transit information available in one call to the 511 system represents a significant convenience and could greatly facilitate consideration of transit in mode-choice decisions. Number of tourists or newcomers In most regions, the transit customer service phone number is at least as familiar and accessible to long-term residents seeking transit information as is 511. Under those conditions—and other factors aside—it is hard to argue that the cost to provide telephone-based transit information anywhere other than through the transit agency is cost effective. However, in regions where there are many tourists and/or many new residents—especially if they come from regions where 511 includes transit—there is greater justification. Whether that justification outweighs the costs will depend on other factors. Decision Factor Implication Table 16. (Continued). 81

82 transit agency personnel include the ITS International Best Practices Workshop, Bus and Paratransit Conference, Mar- keting and Communications Workshop, and TransITech Conference. Recommended forums to reach 511 system ad- ministrator personnel include the ITE annual meeting, ITE technical conferences, the National Transportation Opera- tions Coalition webinars, and the ITS America annual con- ference (also well attended by transit agency personnel). In addition to these activities, it is recommended that a short briefing be provided to the 511 Deployment Coalition leadership, including representatives of FHWA, FTA, and AASHTO. In addition to ensuring that the 511 Deployment Coalition is aware of the report, the briefing may leverage the Coalition’s own communications channels and thus pro- vide another way to reach agencies considering, or partici- pating in, 511.

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TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 134: Transit, Call Centers, and 511: A Guide for Decision Makers explores the operational characteristics of 511 telephone traveler information systems and examines how 511 systems interact with transit system call centers. This report inventories existing 511 systems throughout the country, documents the extent of transit participation and transit agency experiences with 511, and presents guidance to assist transit agencies and 511 system administrators in determining a transit-511 telephone strategy.

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