Information Technology Update for Transit

This synthesis will be of interest to all transit professionals with involvement and interest in information technology (IT), and to those who interact with transit agencies in this area. It is an update of TCRP Synthesis 5: "Management Information Systems", and documents the transit industrys state of the practice in information and communication technologies against a contemporary background of business practice. It is organized into the four basic architectural pieces that constitute an IT plan in order to provide the essential framework for the planning process. Organizational issues and policies and market trends affecting investment in and deployment of management information system technology are also documented. This TRB report addresses the rapid and dramatic changes that have transpired since 1994, and provides concrete IT strategies appropriate to various types and sizes of transit organizations. The focus of this synthesis facilitates a comprehensive review of the myriad IT issues and concerns of the entire industry, accommodating both large and small agencies, while concentrating on the more complex settings of the large agencies.