Improving Access and Management of Transit ITS Data

Archived data from bus and rail intelligent transportation systems (ITS) is an extremely valuable resource for transit service planning and management. Vehicle location and passenger activity data from automatic vehicle location (AVL), automatic passenger counter (APC), and automatic fare collection (AFC) systems are used to provide essential insight into transit operations and to inform decision making to increase the efficiency, productivity, and safety of transit service. These data sets are also key elements in the big data analytics activities needed to link transit and other modes within the broader shared mobility service sector. There are, however, significant challenges for transit agencies in accessing and using this data. Many agencies can’t get to the data at all or don’t understand the data they have. Data validation and quality control, integration and matching across various data sets, and aggregating data are all difficult, as is developing the types of reports, tools, and analytics that really inform decision makers. Even when transit agencies, researchers and consultants do address these challenges, they have difficulty sharing their work with their peers in the industry because the same types of data are managed very differently among transit agencies. The result is that transit ITS data is rarely used to its full benefit. Creating a common approach to accessing and managing archived transit ITS data would facilitate the development and exchange of data management practices, of advanced reports and tools, and of new analytical techniques among transit agencies. Without this assistance, this effort would be too complex, too time-consuming, too costly, or even out of reach. A common definition of data structures for transit ITS data is needed. The objective of this research is to develop a common approach to accessing and managing archived transit ITS data that: (1) Can be connected to data from many different existing systems, (2) Addresses current data access, data quality, and data integration challenges, (3) Is flexible to meet differing needs of transit agencies and other users of transit ITS data, (4) Will be continually improved, and shared across the industry, and (5) Facilitates exchange of reports, tools, and analytical techniques based on transit ITS data.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4687
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $350000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project G-18

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Transit Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Goldstein, Lawrence

• Start Date: 20190108
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Access; Data collection; Data management; Data sharing; Intelligent transportation systems; Public transit
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01690654
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project G-18
• Files: TRB, RiP
• Created Date: Jan 7 2019 3:04PM