ITS Professional Capacity Building Program

T3 Webinars

Webinar Overview

Description

The TimeTable Publisher is a single system that allows a transit agency to examine, modify, and transform raw scheduling data into easy-to-read timetables for customer information purposes. The application simplifies and accelerates the production of printed on-street schedules and web schedules, which is often a very time-consuming and manual process for most agencies. This results in more accurate, current, and consistent schedule information for the customer.

The TimeTable Publisher is designed to use data directly in the Google Transit Feed Spec (GTFS) format, so it can be very easy for an agency to implement. In addition, it can connect to, and read from, other sources of data including a database, a comma separated text file, and XML. An easy-to-use interface, as well as a tool that compares the changes between two service dates, makes it easy to format and edit the data.

As an open sources application, the TimeTable Publisher is available for free so that other transit agencies can use it and even contribute enhancements to it.

Agenda

This T3 Webinar will focus on the implementation of the TimeTable Publisher application by TriMet, the agency that developed and manages the source code, and Hampton Roads Transit, who has implemented the application for the production of their timetables on the web and in print.

Bibiana McHugh from TriMet will give a brief background on the project, provide a general overview of the application, and summarize the benefits the TimeTable Publisher can provide for an agency from both the Customer Information and Information Technology perspectives. Frank Purcell from TriMet will perform a hands-on demonstration following step-by-step instructions for how to download the application, import your agency's data in the GTFS format, use the interface to modify your agency's data, and then export it into various formats for publication.

David Sullivan from Hampton Roads Transit will discuss the challenges of implementing the application, focusing on lessons learned from the initial start-up, to the deployment and launch of the Hampton Roads Transit timetables on the web. Questions will be taken at the end of the presentations.

Intended Audience

• Anyone involved with the production of transit timetables for publication in both printed and web/digital formats. Both technical and non-technical professionals are encouraged to attend.
• Those that have a background in Customer Information will benefit from learning how to actually use the application to modify and manipulate timetables for publication. Those that have a background in IT or Web Development will gain from the technical aspects of the software implementation and operation. The latter focus, on the technical, will be limited in scope and designed for a broader audience, but may be expanded upon in the discussion.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the business justifications for using the Open Source TimeTable Publisher application in your agency.
2. Become familiar with the technical procedures and the issues surrounding the software implementation.
3. Obtain the knowledge and ability to turn your schedule data (in the GTFS format) into printed schedules and web schedules. Example outputs:

Hosts:

Charlene M. Wilder, Federal Transit Administration, US DOT

Ms. Charlene M. Wilder has served as a Transportation Management Specialist for the Federal Transit Administration in Washington, D.C. since 1996. She manages Intelligent Transportation Systems Programs for the Office of Mobility Innovation. Her areas of expertise include traveler information systems; bus rapid transit; ITS deployment tracking; ferry systems, Value Pricing, Advanced Vehicle Locator Systems, parking management systems, and advanced technologies for the transportation disadvantaged.

Most recently, Ms. Wilder served as the Federal host for two T-3 Webinars on "Public Transit ITS Data Collection and Analysis – Large and Small Agency Lessons Learned" and "Core Suite of ITS Technologies for Transit Agencies."

On Capitol Hill, Ms. Wilder served as a Congressional Fellow on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She received the Secretary of Transportation's award for developing communities of best practices. She also received special recognition from the Department of Transportation and the Transportation Research Board for her expertise in older Americans' transportation issues.

Ms. Wilder earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Troy State University, majoring in Business Management and a Master of Arts Degree from Central Michigan University, majoring in Human Resources Management and Supervision.

Presenters:

Bibiana McHugh, TriMet

Bibiana McHugh is the IT Manager of GIS and Location-Based Services at TriMet in Portland, Oregon. She has worked in TriMet's Information Technology department for over ten years and is a strong advocate for the integration of IT and GIS at the enterprise level. She received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Kansas and has since coupled her professional career in GIS and transportation with consulting and teaching.

Currently, Bibiana is actively involved with several initiatives involving open source software and data sharing for the transit community at large. She is one of the co-founders and managers of the Transit Forum Network, an on-line group designed to facilitate and promote collaboration between transit agencies and developers.

Frank Purcell, TriMet

Frank Purcell is a Software Engineer at TriMet working in the IT-GIS section. Currently, he is working on the redesign of the TriMet Interactive map and Web Trip Planner, a project that emphasizes the use of Open Source technologies and web services. Prior to TriMet, Frank spent 10 years working at Hewlett-Packard Company in the capacity of Solution Architect.

David Sullivan, Hampton Roads Transit

David Sullivan is the Senior Vice President for Planning and Technology at Hampton Roads Transit. He is responsible for leading the agency's service planning, technology support, public affairs and communications departments. Hampton Roads Transit provides over 18 million passenger trips annually with transit and commuter services to 1.7 million residents over 370 square miles of Southeast Virginia. Prior to joining HRT in July 2005, David served the citizens of Virginia Beach for 32 years; his last six years were served as the City's Chief Information Officer.

David's technology leadership efforts in Virginia Beach culminated when the City was named the nation's top digital city in 2004 by the Center for Digital Government. He has received a number of regional recognitions including the 2004 High Tech Leadership Award, the 2002 IT Executive of the Year and the 2001 Julian F. Hirst Award for Distinguished Service from the American Society for Public Administration.

David is also involved in various organizations. He serves as Vice-Chair of APTA's Information Technology Committee and is a member of the Hampton Roads Technology Council, IEEE Computer Society and the Association for Computing Machinery. He holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA as well as a master's degree in Management from Cambridge College in Cambridge, MA.