The Top 10 Questions Your Transit Agency Software Needs to Answer

Transit agencies are continuously inundated with data from multiple sources, making the management of finance, operations, maintenance, and customer service data feel overwhelming. Efficient data organization is instrumental in making informed decisions regarding your agency’s fleet, personnel, grants, and investments. 

This is where a transit management system comes into play. When implemented correctly, the ideal transit management software connects and streamlines your agency’s disparate data, tracks performance, and offers insights into service and operational optimizations. With a centralized management system, your transit agency will experience increased efficiency and smoother workflows.

It can be challenging to assess the best transit agency solution for your team. We've removed the guesswork and compiled the top 10 questions your transit agency software should help you answer.

1. Is it easy to view all my transit agency data in one place? Is this data compounded?

With data spread across multiple systems and departments, transit agencies are susceptible to faulty forecasting and flawed decision-making. A unified data platform functions as an integrated system or warehouse that centralizes all key transit agency information. This consolidated view of crucial agency data empowers departments with the information for strategic decision-making. Compounded data allows transit agencies to drill down into key metrics by connecting finance, dispatch, and transit operations data and revealing specific insights, such as costs per hour or per passenger.

A centralized data system allows agencies to leverage dynamic reporting and visualization tools to optimize efficiency and resource allocation. TransTrack Manager™ represents a powerful transit analysis solution that facilitates this process. TransTrack Manager integrates data from multiple areas into a unified system for a clear picture of performance across operations, service, finance, asset management, and more.

2. Can my software monitor the health of my transit agency's fleet?

Effective transit software should continuously track fleet health and performance through key metrics like vehicle reliability and on-time performance. With visibility into a fleet's potential faults and risk indicators, transit leaders are better equipped to address issues before they become breakdowns and service interruptions. Insights into fleet maintenance, parts inventory, and tire management further enhance proactive decision-making and operational efficiency.

TransTrack Manager™'s Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) Module supports this process with comprehensive fleet asset tracking and management. The EAM Module enables agencies to monitor maintenance schedules, track repair histories, and manage parts inventory efficiently. By integrating predictive maintenance tools and risk assessment indicators, agencies can proactively address potential failures for a more reliable and cost-effective fleet.

3. Can transit leaders, managers, and maintenance teams access our data?

Data silos are a common issue among all transit agencies resulting in unnecessary redundancies, duplication of efforts, and increased operational inefficiencies across departments. For this reason, team members throughout your transit agency need access to data management tools.

Successful transit agency software should satisfy the data access requirements of all users. From executives tracking high-level performance analytics to maintenance teams monitoring fleet health, all users should be able to view essential information to their role. This centralized approach minimizes data fragmentation and maximizes cross-departmental collaboration.

4. Can my transit agency effectively track and export data?

Transit agency staff require diverse data views and reports to successfully complete their tasks. Transit agency software should offer flexible options for entering, reviewing, and reporting data and easy-to-use mechanisms for sharing data with other systems and third-party applications.

TransTrack Manager™ features a self-service analytics customization tool for tracking, reporting, and visualizing any data point in the system. Data can be exported from views and reports in PDF or Microsoft Excel formats, and the software’s open architecture allows for custom integrations with any source system.

5. Does my software simplify transit reporting for emissions, incidents, and finances?

Management and decision-makers often have overlapping, cross-departmental reporting requirements that necessitate a cohesive picture. Disparate data streams must be integrated for efficient emissions, incident, and financial reporting, and using spreadsheets to unify these data streams quickly becomes difficult.

TransTrack Manager™ streamlines data aggregation and analysis by consolidating key reporting areas, such as route efficiency, dispatch data, and automatic passenger counters (APC). With over 271 available reports, TransTrack Manager™ automates data collection and reduces manual entry errors. The software even offers a specialized ZEB (zero-emission bus) Module to simplify your agency’s emissions reporting.

6. Will it help my team prepare for this year's NTD reporting?

Efficient National Transit Database (NTD) data collection is essential for transit agencies to maintain compliance and secure federal funding. Relying on a single individual for this critical task can lead to inconsistencies and potential disruptions due to staff turnover. Instead, a collaborative, cross-departmental approach makes sure that data collection and NTD reporting are consistent, resilient, and benefit from diverse insights.

With an integrated transit agency software solution, your team can eliminate data silos, reduce manual data compilation errors, and enhance overall reporting efficiency. Automated data consolidation and standardized methodologies enable agencies to complete up to 95% of their NTD reporting with a single click, significantly reducing the workload and the risk of errors.

7. Is my transit agency complying with all TAM requirements?

Public transit agencies must comply with the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Transit Asset Management (TAM) requirements. Transit agency software should not only provide the required data for meeting these compliance objectives but also enable your team to perform TAM planning and reporting for rolling stock, equipment, and facilities.

TransTrack Manager™ simplifies this process by organizing facilities into distinct asset classes, enabling agencies to better monitor useful life benchmarks and accurately assess conditions. The transit analysis tool automates data collection and centralizes asset performance tracking to reduce the burden of manual data entry and maintain compliance with FTA guidelines.

8. Are business analytics tools included and utilized?

Business Intelligence (BI) software provides business analytics tools for delivering insights to diverse users with varying reporting requirements, from senior management to operational staff. Decision-makers and managers are better positioned to reach and exceed agency objectives when custom dashboards, standard/ad-hoc reports, data export capabilities, and alerts are available.

TransTrack’s business intelligence software, ViewPoint BI, further enhances the transit software’s capabilities with robust data visualization, predictive analytics, and interactive reporting. ViewPoint BI enables real-time and historical data analysis on a daily, weekly, and annual basis so transit agencies can proactively manage service levels, ridership demand, and budget forecasting.

9. Is my agency able to track key performance indicators (KPIs) to meet its objectives?

Transit agencies face constant pressure to meet operational efficiency KPIs and other performance metrics, including ridership, on-time performance, and safety standards. Integrated transit agency software simplifies tracking, adherence to performance targets, and operational effectiveness assessments.

ViewPoint BI supports these goals with data visualization, predictive analysis tools, and interactive dashboards. Agencies can track KPIs, gain insights into opportunities for improvement, and learn how to maximize operational efficiency. With ViewPoint BI, your team can set and monitor KPIs to meet and exceed service and workforce standards.

10. Can my team manage funding and grants?

To better manage funding and grants, transit agencies should continuously measure their cost of service with service expenses. Successful transit agency software consolidates these data points and helps identify key focus areas based on ridership, revenue, and expenses.

Agencies can leverage automated reporting tools to identify key cost drivers, measure farebox recovery ratios, and assess the financial viability of specific routes or services. With centralized financial analysis, your transit agency can optimize grant management, improve budget forecasting, and make data-driven decisions that effectively allocate resources.

Discover Transit Agency Software That Meets Your Needs

Your transit agency software should support workforce and service optimization with tools and features that result in effective resource management and empowered decision-making. TransTrack Manager™ represents a comprehensive solution that centralizes critical transit data, improves asset management, and simplifies compliance reporting.

ViewPoint BI from TransTrack empowers agencies with advanced analytics so your team can visualize trends and generate real-time insights. Equipped with these tools, transit agencies can develop cohesive initiatives and work smarter, not harder, to meet goals. 

Developed by transit professionals for transit professionals, TransTrack Manager,™ ViewPoint BI, and our TransTrack integrations represent robust data management solutions that help drive service excellence and operational efficiency.