Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting - 59

2010 Annual Meeting
etting people safely and effilocation of each vehicle in the system ciently from a starting point to via a digitized map display. their destination is the primary Monitors installed in vehicles permit mission at the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) in Lansing, MI, as it is with other systems. The resources for meeting that goal come in many forms: operators with excellent driving skills, top-notch maintenance and repair work by mechanics, an aggressive employee training program, and—last but not least—a growing array of technology tools. Over the past 15 years, CATA has introduced and integrated technology into many aspects of its operations. The agency uses technology for many purposes, from CATA promotes updated technology on its web site. assessing ridership to helping maintain a clean environment. Autocomputer-aided dispatching. These mated systems enable CATA to enhance mobile data terminals streamline coma number of its service elements, such as munication among operators, dispatchplanning, service development, schedulers, and supervisors. Operators began ing, operator and passenger communirecording their pre-trip bus inspections cations, and data analysis. Automatic with electronic hand-held devices earlier Passenger Counting (APC) systems track this year; this system scans and transpassenger on and off counts. mits findings and defects to a mainteHybrid technology helps mitigate nance database for action. The online noise and emissions from CATA vehicles operations check-in program allows bus while reducing reliance on fossil fuels operators to access work assignments, and cutting expenses. see detour information, select rosters CATA is in the first stage of autoduring bid times, and more. matic vehicle locator (AVL) implemenCATA is preparing to implement a tation. Operations will use cellular new accounting software system that and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) will help manage its budgets and paytechnology to track and plot the exact roll. Its customer service representatives

In Lansing, CATA Rides on New Technologies
use technology to record, track, and analyze customer comments with a program integrated with others to allow easy access and sharing of data so prompt actions can be taken. The customer service department put away its old hard copy schedule books some time ago; agents now work online to generate detailed trip planning itineraries. Visitors to the CATA web site, www.cata.org, can find a number of information modules tied to databases. One of the newest additions to the agency’s technology solutions “pool” generates automated calls that inform paratransit customers of changes to their next day’s ride schedule. Also, CATA’s rideshare program, Clean Commute Options, uses a web-based online commute-matching system. Technology is a tool that can provide great benefits, but a hammer in the hands of an amateur will never produce as beautiful a piece of woodwork as a hammer in the hands of a master carpenter. Good training is essential. CATA has experimented with an internship program and worked with vendors to provide additional training on technology systems. Effective employee recruitment is also key: most of the agency’s positions are now technology-based, which means that recruitment efforts must attract candidates with technology experience. This combination of recruitment and training strategies helps ensure that, when CATA gives its employees a tool, they can create something masterful with it. Finally, while all this technology is great, it can be scary for some employees. CATA goes to great lengths to include operators and mechanics throughout the planning and implementation process to minimize problems when new technology programs are rolled out. Once employees understand the technology objective, how it will be used, and how it will impact their daily assignments, they can see how it will benefit both their work and the customer experience. All this occurs before a program is rolled out. Transit properties that do not use technology to this extent may want to take another look. Implementing these programs does not have to be a feared or painful process; as at CATA, technology can easily become the best tool in an agency’s toolbox.

Working Relationships
As a result, CATA is collecting lots and lots of data. The challenge is finding how to manage that avalanche of data and getting all these technology pieces to work together. Understanding what types of data each system produces and how that data relate to other systems’ data requires a great deal of preparation. These “relationships” are the key step in making the data reliable for analysis— allowing the user to spot performance indicators and trends and setting the stage for improvement measures.

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September 27, 2010 | 55

Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting