Education

Transit Class to be Offered Again Spring Semester

An introductory course in public transportation will be offered through interactive video for the second time by North Dakota State University in the spring semester. The course is coordinated by SURTC. During the spring semester of 2004, 12 students from five states participated in the class.

"Introduction to Public Transportation" features case studies analyzing real-world situations, online discussions of readings and a major research project presented to the class. Lectures will be recorded and streamed for student accessibility. During the spring semester of 2004, the course included speakers from the Federal Transit Administration and the American Public Transportation Association.

The course will be offered on the NDSU campus while linking to universities and departments of transportation in North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Utah, Pennsylvania and Wyoming via the TEL8 system. This system is designed to enhance transportation research, education and technology transfer. The class may also be offered over the Internet for the spring semester.

Jim Miller, retired faculty member from Pennsylvania State University, is the instructor of the course. He has more than 30 years of experience in public transportation research planning and management and is a leader in developing transportation systems for rural areas.

"The TEL8 system and interactive video technology give us access to national-level expertise," says SURTC director Jill Hough. "Students and professionals across the region are able to share their common challenges and benefit from each other's unique perspectives and experiences."

CCRAFT: ITS for Smaller Transit Systems

While many small urban and rural transit managers wonder what, if any, benefits ITS can bring to their operations, a system developed at the University of New Mexico by the Alliance for Transportation Research Institute may provide solutions to many challenges managers face.

The system, Client Referral, Ridership and Financial Tracking (CRRAFT), is unusual because it is not a scaled-down version of those used in major metropolitan areas. It is a system that has been developed from the beginning to promote coordination in smaller systems.

The cornerstone of CRRAFT is a Web-based software program that aids users in scheduling rides, managing ridership data, and producing financial reports. Authorized users however, are not limited to those involved in transportation. By using a password, individuals from funding agencies can gain access to relevant information and reports as needed with the click of a button. This system is currently used by a number of regional demand-response providers throughout New Mexico as well as the state's Health Services Department.

The Alliance for Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is expanding the scope of CRRAFT by implementing on-vehicle technology to help efficiently gather more accurate ride data. By making use of smart card technology, automatic vehicle location technologies and on-board electronics, the time and location and purpose of each trip are recorded on small, hand-held computers mounted near the driver. At the end of each day, the data is downloaded to the CRRAFT system. All hardware is available commercially and costs are relatively low, about $1,200 per vehicle.

According to Eric Holm, a program manager at ATRI, the success that CRRAFT has enjoyed in New Mexico should be transferable to other small, demand-response providers. "CRRAFT is very portable and can be implemented in another state with some simple configuration. Once this setup is done, the system could be used with little or no change."