Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc.

public domain 1.6 Vol

Information and Risk Management Ideas for Public Entities Technology Keeps Passengers, Transit Agencies Up to Speed from the wheel to the combustion programmed to pop up on their According to Ken Voss, Vice President engine, and from the printing press to computer screen a few minutes out, of asset management for software firm, the computer, technology has steadily ensuring they’re waiting in the comfort Spear Technologies, “these systems transformed the way we work and of home or office instead of standing provide key performance indicators play. As communication over long out in the cold. to help make management decisions distances becomes near instantaneous, about holding and tripping vehicles.” our demand for information has been, In San Francisco, for example, likewise, driven by the need for speed. the transit authority used NextBus Voss cites vehicles held for service. technology to make real-time arrival Without asset management software, That access to information often information available for baseball’s it’s difficult to keep track of whether a breaks down, however, in our daily season opener. In Vail, Colorado, bus is waiting for a $10 part, an oil commutes—which are anything but NextBus tracking units have been change or an engine overhaul. With speedy. According to 2005 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Americans spend over 100 hours commuting to ‘There’s no doubt that work each year. This exceeds the 80 hours (or two weeks) most people take in vacation time. While many people at the start of the drive everywhere, millions of others depend on public transportation to get twenty-first century, around. And waiting any length of time for the bus or the train isn’t much fun. technology is again

Enter two brothers from San Francisco changing the way we who owned a chain of furniture stores. Tired of waiting for the bus in the rain, work and play.’ they came up with the idea of telling people when the bus would show up. added to the route that connects visitors effective software, you can quickly The result: NextBus, a company that to three major ski portals and the assess which buses could be put into uses Global Positioning System (GPS) resort’s pedestrian-only activity centers. service, if needed. The software is data to give passengers real-time And Washington, D.C. recently also a handy tool to help manage arrival information on their bus or train. awarded NextBus a contract to give inventories. SpearTechnologies offers passengers bus arrival software that scans bar codes as In addition to offering convenience time information. products arrive at the loading dock— to busy commuters, it turns out that making it possible for a mechanic to real-time information displays provide Beck Pak, Washington Metropolitan know right away if the part he’s been a psychological boost. According to Area Transit Authority Senior Project waiting for has arrived. a 2006 study, Psychological Effects Manager of Systems, said, “WMATA of and Design Preferences for Real- recognizes the importance of this Software is benefiting passengers and Time Information Displays,1 “Systems information to our customers to transit districts: displaying the next train or bus optimize their use of time, and we departure time at stops or stations are hoping to increase bus ridership • San Mateo County Transit District can greatly reduce anxiety. Just the by making the bus information more maintains 368 vehicles from existence of such a system creates trust accessible to the public.” two maintenance facilities in the whole [public transit] system and and provides service to the may improve its image.” Real-time passenger information is only San Francisco Peninsula. They one way public transit systems are implemented open architecture So how can real-time information embracing technology to improve their software that integrated with its be applied? efficiency and provide better service existing financial and human to customers. Transit systems are also resources systems. The new system Joe Monaco, National Sales Director implementing software systems to enabled the district to move from a for NextBus, explains that the system track and manage their moving and reactive maintenance process to a does more than just provide an LED infrastructure assets. preventive one. reader showing when the next bus is coming and how far away it is. “You Software Solutions • San Francisco Municipal Railway can sign up to have the information (Muni), with a fleet of 1,400 sent to your Blackberry or cell phone. The right software can help improve vehicles (including light rail, You can also call from a pay phone productivity, reduce costs and help electric trolleys, diesel buses, and punch in a code number to get transit systems ensure enough streetcars and cable cars) is the information.” Moreover, Monaco notes vehicles are in service to meet seventhlargest public transit system passengers can have the information passenger demand. in the United States. It rolled out

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Published Quarterly by Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. • www.Schinnerer.com •713.652.2230 • Copyright 2008• All Rights Reserved Technology Keeps Passengers, Transit Agencies Up to Speed (cont. from front) an asset management software system to conduct scheduled maintenance, Spear’s warranty tracking software that Muni’s then-General Manager, inspections and repairs. Shortly enables transit systems to both track Mike Burns, said “will result in after the new system went live warranty status and to create warranty improved reporting, improved returns in 2000, HBLR’s coordinator for claim records automatically from a on warranty claims, [and] reductions Operations and Maintenance said, work order as it’s being completed. “As in materials inventories and improve “As we consolidate all our work payments are received and allocated back the overall effectiveness of Muni’s entries and reporting…work history to specific claims,” explains Voss, “each is automatically being created for maintenance programs.” claim record is updated with the payment various pieces of equipment and amount, check number and date.” • The Kansas City Area locations. We’re beginning to see Transportation Authority (KCATA) patterns in problem areas we may There’s no doubt that at the start of the provides public transportation not have spotted before.” twenty-first century, technology is again services to a seven-county area in changing the way we work and play. As Touch-screen kiosks, meanwhile, can Missouri and Kansas. The transit transit systems become more efficient, the increase worker productivity. Spear system operates over 70 bus routes beneficiaries include everyone from those Technologies has installed kiosks in with an average daily ridership of who run these systems to those who keep 51,600 passengers. KCATA has bus maintenance facilities to enable the systems running. Most important, implemented new software systems employees to view equipment records, technology benefits passengers who to maintain its fleet of buses and clock in and out, record the work know how long they have to wait and infrastructure, and has licensed performed and order parts. To use the are less likely to be waiting for a bus mobile workforce applications to software, a worker walks up, swipes use over 30 wireless handheld his or her proximity card and sees what broken down along the side of the road computers for maintenance and needs to be done. or a train stuck on the tracks. u materials management tasks. Software can also help track warranty information—which can potentially save a Public Domain thanks Kenneth Korach, President • New Jersey Transit’s Hudson and CEO of TRA, Inc, for his assistance: 1608 Bergen Light Rail system (HBLR) is transit authority millions of dollars. “Spear Walnut Street, Suite 1602, Philadelphia, PA software tracks every component,” says 19103; tel: 215- 546-9110; e-mail: kenneth. using asset management software [email protected]. to support the maintenance of its Voss. “Since the number one goal of Public Domain also thanks Mike Kelly, linear assets, wayside equipment repairs is to get a train car or a bus back Operations Manager, Mountain Line Transit, in service, tracking warranty information for his assistance: 2300 Huffer Lane, Flagstaff, and facilities. Maintenance AZ 86001;tel: 928-679-8913; e-mail: mkelly@ personnel are using these new tools is usually secondary. This makes it easy.” naipta.az.gov. This newsletter is for illustrative purposes only and is not a contract. It is intended to provide a general overview of the policy described. Nothing contained herein should be construed as an acknowledgement by Schinnerer that a given situation may be covered under a particular policy. © 2008, Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. MA6-10173

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public domain Information and Risk Management Ideas for Public Entities