5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Before the start of the SmartBus project in 2003, CARTA was not a heavy user of ITS technologies. The agency had computerized systems to support most back office operations - accounting, timekeeping, and payroll. The agency had a GIS software application to manage paratransit operations, though same-day reservations often had to be managed manually, and drivers used printed manifests to manage and record its routes. Fixed and flex route buses were equipped with fareboxes and headsigns, but operating these devices required considerable manual input from drivers. Incline Rail ticket sales were recorded in manual logs. Thus, a mixture of standalone applications and manual procedures were used to manage CARTA operations.
With the advent of the SmartBus project, CARTA envisioned an environment where manual processes were eliminated and data was shared freely between applications. This would allow CARTA to automate many activities that previously required many manual steps. It would also create a data-rich environment where CARTA could mine archived operations data to identify opportunities for improvement. For example, the integration of fuel usage and maintenance data in the data warehouse allowed CARTA to include both maintenance and fuel costs when assessing the cost-effectiveness of different fuels.
Making the transition from an organization that made limited use of technology to one in which technology was an integral part of its operations was challenging. There were a number of activities that appeared to be keys to CARTA's successfully meeting these challenges:
- Documenting the long-term vision for ITS. CARTA developed documents that described its long-term vision for ITS, and these documents helped keep them on track in its deployments. They also helped ensure that long lead-time activities were completed in time to support its future plans.
- Avoiding the temptation to do too much too fast. CARTA sequenced its deployments so that systems were deployed sequentially, avoiding deployment of dependent systems at the same time. For example, one reason the CARTA data warehouse was its first ITS deployment was that so many other systems would need to integrate with it. Deploying it first meant that it could be operating stably before these other integrations occurred.
- Being willing to accept schedule delays when needed to help manage deployment risks. When changes to CARTA's deployment schedule were needed, CARTA was willing to accept delays in order to control risks. For example, when the bus arrival time prediction system was deployed early to take advantage of an outside funding opportunity, CARTA delayed other deployment activities so as not to overburden its limited IT resources.
- Using a data warehouse. The presence of a data warehouse at CARTA simplified other deployments in two ways. First, the data warehouse provided reporting tools, which eliminated the need for sophisticated reporting tools in other CARTA applications. Second, applications could be integrated with the data warehouse, reducing the total number of interfaces that were required.
- Testing systems thoroughly before introducing them to operations. CARTA displayed a strong commitment to thoroughly testing all systems before accepting them as complete and introducing them to operations. CARTA found and corrected many problems during final testing. If these problems had occurred in an operational system, they could have caused operational problems that could have reduced the confidence of the public and CARTA management in the ITS plans.
As CARTA completes the last steps of its ITS deployment plans, it appears that CARTA's approach to these deployments has been a success. Most of the technologies the agency hoped to deploy in 2003 are now in place, with the final technologies scheduled for deployment by the end of 2010. Those whose jobs have been impacted by the technologies speak favorably of them. Following a systems engineering approach helped CARTA successfully deploy its ITS technologies and become a transit agency in which the careful application of technology improved operations across the agency.