Benchmarking Planning Group

One of the groups set up at the Sept 2006 TFLEx conference. This group will to create and initiate the TFLEx Standard Measures and Benchmark Data Plan.

TFLEx Benchmarking Project prepared by: Ray Garton for the Fall 2007 Conference - Los Angles, CA

Purpose: The TFLEx membership has created this benchmark database to track selected business measurements in more timely and flexible manner than the National Transit Database (NTD). This project will address the issues with the NTD benchmarks; the delay in posting the NTD data, the variance between how some agencies calculated their data inputs, and the need to track additional metrics.

Scope: The website hosts a database that contains 26 benchmarks scores calculated from 32 benchmark data entry points. Only users granted access from a given agency can enter the data points for their agency. When a data entry point is entered, all benchmarks related to that data point are recalculated automatically. Each benchmark is categorized by YEAR and MODE. As of the Fall 2007 Conference, there have been 1091 data entry points entered, calculating 647 benchmarks scores. The data goes back to 2004. The data covers 19 of the 21 TFLEx member agencies, and was taken from the initial spreadsheets gathered and NTD data. Additional data entry points, calculated benchmarks, and modes can be easily added. The milestones for this project:

• Initial data gathering from 5 agencies
• Compiling benchmark scores
• PowerPoint presentation at the Tampa Spring 2007
• Online application and database created
• Data from the initial spreadsheets and NTD entered into online application
• Definitions entered (ongoing)
• Owners identified (ongoing)
• Review and comments from application owners (ongoing)
• Application and definitions finalized (pending)
• Ready for normal calendar cycle and use by owners:
• NTD data compiled and submitted
• TFLEx benchmarking application updated
• Benchmarks ready for Spring TFLEx conference

The project to date: WMATA assigned an analyst, Felicia Hyatt, to gather data from five of the member agencies, visiting some of them in person. This data was gathered on spreadsheet templates. At the last conference, Tampa Spring 2007, it was decided to build a web based application to facilitate gathering the data. In May, June, and July the web application was developed by Ray Garton. During the course of the summer Felicia left WMATA, and since then the TFLEx Leadership Committee has been coordinating the project. The first version of the application is now running on the site, ready for the owners to begin a review and comment phase. The application owners are the employees that are responsible to gathering and reporting to the NTD. Currently, Ray is identifying and assigning website accounts for these users. They are being asked to review the current application and provide some comments and feedback. This review phase will be followed by a revision phase to make any revisions that may be required by the owners.

Owners: The agencies have all been requested to provide the name of an employee/s that will act as the contact for this project. The owner's responsibility is to update their own agencies scores at TFLEx after they they have submitted the NTD data. These owners are identified in the website directory under "Benchmarking Planning Group." Nine agencies have responded to date (10-23-2007), the owners are:

Peggy MacCallum, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Kevin Timmins, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Aviva Pouladian, Santa Monicas Big Blue Bus (BBB)
Katina Vaughan, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
Ray Garton, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
Fe Dalida, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
Frank Shapiro Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
Nadia Mokhov, Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT)
Kari Wilson, San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD)
Lisa Wolterink, Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (ST)
Gil Noble, Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA)
Christopher D. Dobson, Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA)
Robert Frye, Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA)
Rick Harcum, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)

1. The definitions of the data points need clarification, and tagged to the applicable NTD forms, if possible.
2. The list of data points needs to be reviewed to see if there are any additional data points that need to be added.
3. The owners of the application need to be given a chance to review and provide feedback on the existing application. These comments will be used to finalize the application.
4. Make any revisions required before the owners begin using the application.

Calendar: Each agency will update their benchmark data each fall, after the close of that year's books and the completion of the NTD submission. The data will be presented each year at the TFLEx Spring.

Support: Contact Ray Garton at Dallas Area Rapid Transit, email rgarton@dart.org or phone 214-749-3327.

Confidentiality: Only the paid TFLEx membership has access to these reports. These pages are not accessible without a website account.

Users that belong to the Benchmarking Planning Group. Click here to leave a message for all the members in this group.