Bus Stop Knowledgebase System

Objectives
The primary objective of the Bus Stop Knowledgebase System is to create a user-friendly web-based one-stop shop for stakeholders to access bus stop asset information, including viewing business statistics and planning maintenance activities.

The secondary objective of the Bus Stop Knowledgebase System is to ensure that data regarding bus stops (especially spatial data) is not strictly confined to the ArcGIS environment. Currently, bus stop spatial data is handcuffed to the ArcGIS environment. However, ESRI's signature software package - although great for solving deep GIS analysis problems - has proven to be a solution that is expensive to license and maintain; difficult to learn for the casual, non-GIS user; not easily accessible to all computers and users; and too slow to load up for addressing small, everyday needs.

The tertiary objective is to provide a vehicle for communication regarding transit-related issues at a number of different levels.

Background
Mission critical duties include:
 * Maintaining a comprehensive record of bus stop asset locations, condition, and attributes.
 * Continuously collecting bus stop attributes as field conditions change (e.g., through road construction).
 * Responding to the needs of the public regarding bus stop asset conditions (e.g., a downed bus stop pole).
 * Improving the quality of the transit customer experience by enhancing pedestrian access features and amenities.
 * Notifying the transit customer of current and/or planned bus stop services.

G&O is currently providing GIS and applications services. G&O is responsible for maintaining the bus stop geodatabase which holds data regarding bus stop locations, pedestrian access attributes, passenger comfort amenities, safety/security features, transit information features (i.e., signs), and bus stop photographs. This, as well as other Transit-related information sources and systems, will function as the primary data warehouse for the Knowledgebase.

Business Goals
Below are business activity categories and associated (measurable?) goals.


 * Asset Management
 * Decrease response-time to work order calls
 * Achieve inter-departmental communication of bus stop-related issues
 * Retrieve & present business information through reporting services
 * Field Crew Management
 * Retain effective work order management (CRUD operations)
 * Route planning functionality to plan & address maintenance needs
 * Customer Management
 * Increase transit ridership indirectly through:
 * Enhanced transit customer service (both information- and asset-related)
 * Increased customer satisfaction
 * Redirect inquiries by providing a location for the public to easily access bus stop-related information

Mapping & GIS services are effective means to these goals, but not to be confused as the end-goal.

Data Sources
The following is a list of external systems that provide data to the knowledgebase system. Their interaction with other actors in the context of the knowledgebase system is highlighted below in the High Level Use Cases section.
 * bus stop geodatabase (ArcGIS or Oracle ArcSDE)
 * bus stop photo warehouse
 * Passenger Facilities (PFU) Sharepoint work order system (MS SQL Server)
 * pedestrian collision data (MS Access)
 * ridership data
 * TIC complaints database (MS Access)

Future systems to account for:
 * Trapeze scheduling
 * automated ride-check
 * real time transit information system (RTTIS)

Use Case Analysis
G&O followed the principles of use case analysis to identify business needs regarding the Bus Stop Knowledgebase System.

High Level Use Cases
' * ': denotes use case shared with Real Time Transit Information System (RTTIS)