Improving Public Transportation Technology Implementations and Anticipating Emerging Technologies (2007) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 11-58
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From page 11... ...
The technologies can be classified using the following functional categories: • System integration, • Fleet management, • Electronic fare payment (EFP) systems, • Automated traveler information, • Transit safety and security, • Transportation demand management (TDM)
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ATIS = advanced traveler information systems. EFP = electronic fare payment.
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A number of transit agencies in the United States are beginning to use enterprise data models to organize, maintain and use the data being generated by their ITS and IT systems. Enterprise9 Ibid; Hwang et al., Advanced Public Transportation Systems.
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2.1.1.2 Fleet Management Fleet management technologies assist in transit planning, operation, and maintenance functions. The following sections describe specific technologies in use in the transit industry to support such functions.
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Service planning support systems include tools and applications that facilitate managing the data that flow to and from other fleet management systems (e.g., systems assisting in transit operations)
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A TSP system minimizes the amount of time spent at an intersection by transit vehicles by using strategies such as extended green phase, queue jumping, "buses-only" signals, or use of "bus-only" lanes. Priority algorithms consider various traffic and transit 16 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 78 Largest Metropolitan Areas Remainder of the United States Agency Categories N um be r o f A ge nc ie s Ferry Commuter Demand Response Light Rail Heavy Rail Fixed Route Note: A total of 516 transit agencies were surveyed.
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EFP includes hardware and software deployed by transit agencies to facilitate fare payment and collection and revenue reconciliation. EFP can be described 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 78 Largest Metropolitan Areas Remainder of the United States Agency Category N um be r o f A ge nc ie s Commuter Demand Light Rail Fixed Route Note: A total of 516 transit agencies were surveyed.
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Deployment status of vehicle component monitoring. 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 78 Largest Metropolitan Areas Remainder of the United States Agency Categories N um be r o f A ge nc ie s Ferry Commuter Rail Demand Response Light Rail Heavy Rail Fixed Route Notes: A total of 516 transit agencies were surveyed.
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From page 19... ...
2.1.1.4 Automated Traveler Information Transit agencies use various technology-based media, including websites, IVR, and television/cable networks, to disseminate automated transit information. Agencies can provide integrated traveler information using technologies such as CAD/AVL.
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Deployment status of various types of transit information.
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Deployment status of transit information systems by transit mode. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 78 Largest Metropolitan Areas Remainder of the United States Agency Categories N um be r o f A ge nc ie s Transit & Highway Highway only Transit only Note: A total of 516 transit agencies were surveyed.
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Automated service coordination. Automated service coordination uses technologies that facilitate protecting transfers (through technologies like AVL that track real-time loca22 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 78 Largest Metropolitan Areas Remainder of the United States Agency categories N um be r o f A ge nc ie s Report traffic incidents and participate in statewide disaster planning Participate in statewide disaster planning only Report traffic incidents only Note: A total of 516 transit agencies were surveyed.
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From page 23... ...
; and lanekeeping assistance. 2.1.1.8 Transit Core Suite of Technologies Project12 There has been an ongoing need in the transit industry for basic information about technology beyond the aforementioned Advanced Public Transportation Systems: The State of the Art -- Update 2006 and Advanced Public Transportation Systems Deployment in the United States -- Year 2004 Update.13 In early 2006, the Volpe Center was tasked to identify a "transit core suite of technologies" and develop fact sheets for each transit technology included in the suite.
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The specific contents of each fact sheet are expected to be as follows: • Reasons to use the technology, • Explanations of how the technology addresses transit problems, 24 Core Technology Fi xe dR ou te B us D em an d R es po ns e R ur al T ra ns it H um an S er vi ce R ai l T ra ns it Fe rr y Bo at Automatic Vehicle Location Communications Traveler Information Data Management – GIS X Electronic Fare Payment X X Computer-aided Dispatch and Scheduling Security Cameras/System X Maintenance Tracking Automatic Passenger Counters X Traffic Signal Priority X Weather Information System Note. X = Secondary technology for the mode.
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Goeddel, Benefits Assessment of Advanced Public Transportation System Technologies, Update 2000, FTA-MA-26-7007-00-4, prepared by John A Volpe Transportation Systems Center Research and Special Programs Administration, U.S.
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Reported quantitative benefits of transit technologies are summarized below.18 A marginal benefit analysis that was conducted by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority as part of a technology needs assessment and selection process showed a potential benefit of approximately $210,000 to $430,000 for the deployment of fleet management and traveler information systems.19 The GPS-based CAD/AVL system deployed at the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) on its 1,355-vehicle fleet included system software; dispatch center hardware; in-vehicle hardware; field communication equipment; and initial training, planning, and implementation services.
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From page 27... ...
resulted in savings of $9.5 million per year in reduced fare evasion, $5 million in reduced data collection costs, and $990,000 in transfer slip elimination.26 Technology deployments have helped to improve the safety and security of transit vehicles, stops, stations, personnel, and riders. Improvements in safety and security have also helped from a financial perspective through a reduction in insurance claims.
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public transportation agency, who described himself as "not a ‘technology guy' per se" and "not an early adopter," indicated that advanced technologies were of great value to his organization. The technology focus of nearly all of the transit operators interviewed, especially the U.S.
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From page 29... ...
and international transit agencies. The transit agencies focused almost exclusively on current transit industry–specific technologies, in particular, upgrading and integrating their existing applications and taking small, incremental steps toward technologies like Wi-Fi that are not yet common in transit, but are not truly "future" technologies.
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BART's IT department manager understood and educated management and staff about key issues associated with technology deployment, including why tech30 30 Fact sheet on Business Advancement Plan, provided by R Cody, Department Manager, Information Technology, BART (n.
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Results of this assessment determined how BART's current processes compared to industry best practices and how ready BART was to change. This assessment of business processes, cultural readiness, and information technology is a step in conducting technology projects that has been adopted by other transit agencies that have successfully deployed technology (see Section 2.1.3.3)
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2.1.3.2 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) In 2000, WMATA developed a Strategic Information Technology Investment Program as part of "a necessary transformation to change the culture and bring in the reNEWed WMATA by aggressively transform[ing]
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The first element of the scope of work was for a comprehensive assessment of needs and requirements. This effort focused on a "review of current technologies and operations in order to determine specific ITS technologies that should be implemented at Capital Metro."43 The specific tasks with this first element included the following: • Conducting a current business process/technology review, • Conducting interviews and obtaining executive management input, • Assessing current technology in the transit industry, • Identifying and prioritizing business needs, • Recommending specific technologies to address these needs, • Defining functional requirements of the recommended technologies, and • Developing an action plan and an implementation plan.
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From page 34... ...
Capital Metro's organized and structured approach to its ITS planning, procurement, and deployment has allowed the agency to proceed successfully with a complex technology deployment while maintaining focus on day-to-day operations and working on other very high visibility projects, such as the implementation of the "All Systems Go! " plan.45 2.2 Methods for Improving the Success of Technology Implementations This section summarizes obstacles faced by public transportation agencies in implementing advanced technologies and identifies a number of general strategies and specific best practices that agencies can employ to overcome many of those obstacles.
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The second category of recommendations identifies specific best practices in a number of areas, ranging from institutional to technical. 2.2.1 Obstacles to Successful Technology Implementation Part of the impetus for this study is the reality that transit agencies have struggled to take full advantage of technologies, even mature technologies.
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One U.S. interviewee noted that planning and implementation/operation of technology projects is sometimes split between two different groups within transit agencies.
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Long project timelines delay benefits and further hasten the already short life spans of many technologies. As the King County Metro interviewee noted, technology is constantly changing and is therefore a "moving target," and long project timelines compound the challenge.
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Recognition of the value of EAP and SE for transportation. Although EAP and SE techniques are not yet widely or sufficiently understood or practiced by many public transportation agencies, they are beginning to penetrate the over38 47 Hwang et al., Advanced Public Transportation Systems.
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In fact, it becomes an essential component at all stages of the project's life cycle."55 49 Hwang et al., Advanced Public Transportation Systems. 50 The Chief Information Officers Council, "Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework, Version 1.1" (September 1999)
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and FTA's Final Policy on Architecture and Standards Conformity, see "FHWA Rule/FTA Policy," www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/ its_arch_imp/policy.htm. 58 Mitretek Systems, Building Quality Intelligent Transportation Systems; FTA, "National ITS Architecture Consistency Policy for Transit Projects -- Additional Grantee Guidance," policy guidance document (Washington, D.C.: FTA, U.S.
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From page 41... ...
The first step is to recognize three key facts: • EAP and SE constitute a major departure from traditional transit approaches; • There is a steep acceptance and learning curve for these techniques; and • These techniques demand capabilities and resources that many agencies, especially small ones, do not have. Figure 15 shows five stages of cultural resistance to change, ranging from initial denial to ultimate acceptance that apply to individual transit agencies and the public transportation industry overall in their response to the need for EAP and SE.
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From page 42... ...
Reported failure rates for ERP projects are even higher, at 60 percent.61 Comparable statistics are not available for the success and failure rates of public transportation IT projects. However, most people in the industry would agree that many transit technology projects have failed or have not fulfilled their potential.
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From page 43... ...
As with EAP and SE, few public transportation agencies have either fully bought in to the need for change management and/or they lack the leadership or resources to practice it effectively. A rare exception is BART, which, in addition to embracing EAP and SE techniques, placed a tremendous emphasis on change management in their ongoing BAP.
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From page 44... ...
No one organizational structure is appropriate to all agencies, but more generally, it is clear that technology deployments are enhanced through organizational arrangements that do the following: (1) Consolidate, or at least closely coordinate, all technology-related planning and investment activities within the organization, ensuring that individual technology decisions are made in light of overall agency objectives and in recognition of the relative priority of competing technology investments agencywide, and (2)
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From page 45... ...
Kotter's "Why Transformation Efforts Fail," the eight stages of creating major change within an organization are as follows:72 • Establishing a sense of urgency, • Creating the guiding coalition, • Developing a vision and strategy, • Communicating the change vision, • Empowering broad-based action, • Generating short-term wins, • Consolidating gains and producing more change, and • Anchoring new approaches in the culture. This approach was taken by King County Metro in 1993, resulting in Metro's readiness and willingness to move forward with nine specific technology projects.
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From page 46... ...
74 P Toliver, "Critical Success Elements to Surmounting Challenges to Technology Adoption in King County, WA," presentation at the National Leadership Summit on Surmounting Challenges to Technology Adoption (Irvine, CA: August 29, 2006)
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From page 47... ...
In addition to consolidation/close coordination of technology activities through the agency, it is important to directly link that consolidated technology responsibility to the senior-level agency management. That link promotes understanding and support for technology on the part of management; it also helps ensure that technology investments and the priority/sequence of competing technology investments are made within the context of the overall agency direction and strategy.
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From page 48... ...
The King County Metro interviewee noted the importance of "organizational self-image." Success in technology deployment is aided when an agency perceives itself as willing to take some risks and dedicated to improvement by utilizing the best available technology.
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From page 49... ...
proposal for an applied technology center. According to the October 7, 2006, "General Manager Foundation Meeting Report" for the UTA-led Applied Transit Technology Center: Over the last several months the UTA, in collaboration with APTA and the PT [Public Transportation]
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Be aware of the provisions of the Buy America policy. As with all purchases, transit agencies need to be aware of Buy America provisions when making technology purchases.
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One reason to ensure that adequate documentation is received is that staff turnover is inevitable, and having proper system documentation will help new staff become more quickly acquainted with the technology. 2.2.3.5 Technical Practices Develop a technology strategic plan for the entire organization.
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From page 52... ...
One interviewee noted that, especially in the past, FTA had funded a lot of technology projects that were not well thought out by the local implementers, that did not include a concept of operations, and that did not include a consideration of project life cycle costs. This interviewee commented that there has not been enough "enforcement" of the FTA National ITS Architecture Policy and that many agencies' architecture efforts have merely been a "check off" and not a meaningful exercise: "People [agencies]
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The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority reports that "general management is very involved in our technology planning process; we meet every Friday to go over hot topics." Finally, Capital Metro has a team of senior managers guiding its ITS efforts. Consider consolidation of technology responsibility.
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As the OUTREACH interviewee noted, it only takes one barrier or dead end to bury a good idea. That is, as the idea makes its way up a vertical chain of supervisors, it only takes one person in that chain who is not supportive to kill the idea.
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From page 55... ...
Transit agencies should note that although deserving of priority consideration, prerequisites need not be the exclusive focus of initial efforts to improve technology deployment. Many of the specific best practices recommended in Section 2.2.3 can be applied in the absence of some of the prerequisites and can still help improve technology deployment.
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From page 56... ...
• A supportive community that values transit and supports investments, including technology investments, to improve transit. • Resources or the ability to access them (e.g., through good grant-writing skills and leveraging a wide range of resources, such as partnerships)
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Agencies lacking prerequisites might, rather than receiving technology deployment funds, receive resources that will assist them in establishing prerequisites such as the following: • Various peer-to-peer activities, such as scanning tours to successful agencies; • Assistance in developing community and/or board understanding and support for transit technology investment, including help in developing and making presentations; and • Assistance to technical staff in developing CEO/GM understanding and support for transit technology planning, implementation, and operation. Conversely, deployment funds might be better focused on those agencies fully prepared and able to achieve success.
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From page 58... ...
UTA describes the effort as a "collaborative effort or consortium among transit agencies to foster the application of technological innovation."86 The Applied Transit Technology Center is expected to involve four to eight agencies and will be directed by transit agency GM. The center will be a "virtual" institution, that is, a number of its projects, programs, and activities will take place at the sites of its member agencies.
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