ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Washington, D.C. 20418 National ...

1 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARDN ational Research Council2101 Constitution Avenue, , 20418 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTEDSPINE = 7/32"18673 TCRP Synth 43 cvrMDDPMS 648 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD Effective Use of Transit Websites A Synthesis of Transit PracticeTRANSIT COOPERATIVERESEARCHPROGRAMTCRPSYNTHESIS 43 Sponsored by the Federal Transit AdministrationNATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCILE ffective Use of Transit WebsitesTRBTCRP Synthesis 43 TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECTSELECTION COMMITTEECHAIRLINDA S. WATSONC orpus Christi RTAMEMBERSDANNY ALVAREZM iami Dade Transit AgencyKAREN ANTIONK aren Antion ConsultingGORDON AOYAGIM ontgomery County GovernmentJEAN PAUL BAILLYU nion Internationale des TransportsPublicsJ. BARRY BARKERT ransit Authority of River CityLEE BARNESB arwood, L.

2 BARNESC entral Ohio Transit AuthorityGERALD L. BLAIRI ndiana County Transit AuthorityANDREW BONDS, Transportation Group, L. DORNF ederal Transit AdministrationCONSTANCE GARBERYork County Community Action M. GILLIAMC apital Metropolitan TransportationAuthoritySHARON GREENES haron Greene & AssociatesKATHERINE M. HUNTER-ZAWORSKIO regon State UniversityROBERT H. IRWINBC TransitJOYCE HOBSON JOHNSONN orth Carolina A&T State UniversityCELIA G. KUPERSMITHG olden Gate Bridge, Hwy. & Transport. J. LARROUSSEN ational Transit InstituteDAVID A. LEEC onnecticut TransitSTEPHANIE L. PINSONG ilbert Tweed Associates, H. PRINCE, Bay Transportation AuthorityRICHARD J. SIMONETTAPB ConsultPAUL P. SKOUTELASPort Authority of Allegheny CountyPAUL TOLIVERKing County MetroEX OFFICIO MEMBERSWILLIAM W.

3 MILLARAPTAMARY E. PETERSFHWAJOHN C. HORSLEYAASHTOROBERT E. SKINNER, Research BoardTDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTORLOUIS F. SANDERSAPTASECRETARYROBERT J. REILLYTRBTRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2002 OFFICERSC hair: E. DEAN CARLSON, Secretary of Transportation, Kansas DOTVice Chairman: GENEVIEVE GIULIANO, Professor, School of Policy, Planning, and Development, University of Southern CaliforniaExecutive Director: ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR., Transportation Research BoardMEMBERSWILLIAM D. ANKNER, Director, Rhode Island DOTTHOMAS F. BARRY, JR., Secretary of Transportation, Florida DOTMICHAEL W. BEHRENS, Executive Director, Texas Department of TransportationJACK E. BUFFINGTON, Research Professor, Mark Blackwell National Rural Transportation Study Center,University of ArkansasSARAH C.

4 CAMPBELL, President, TransManagement, Inc., washington , F. CASEY, President, Intermodal Association of North America, Greenbelt, MDJAMES C. CODELL III, Secretary, Kentucky Transportation CabinetJOHN L. CRAIG, Director, Nebraska Department of RoadsROBERT A. FROSCH, Senior Research Fellow, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard UniversitySUSAN HANSON, Landry University Professor of Geography, Clark UniversityLESTER A. HOEL, Lacy Distinguished Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of VirginiaRONALD F. KIRBY, Director Transportation Planning, Metropolitan washington Council of GovernmentsH. THOMAS KORNEGAY, Executive Director, Port of Houston AuthorityBRADLEY L. MALLORY, Secretary of Transportation, Pennsylvania DOTMICHAEL D.

5 MEYER, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of TechnologyJEFF P. MORALES, Director of Transportation, California DOTDAVID PLAVIN, President of the Airports Council International, washington , REBENSDORF, Vice President, Network and SERVICE Planning, Union Pacific Railroad CompanyCATHERINE L. ROSS, Executive Director, Georgia Regional Transportation AgencyJOHN M. SAMUELS, Senior Vice President, Operations Planning and Support, Norfolk Southern CorporationPAUL P. SKOUTELAS, CEO, Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PAMICHAEL S. TOWNES, Executive Director, Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads, Hampton, VAMARTIN WACHS, Director, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California at BerkeleyMICHAEL W.

6 WICKHAM, Chairman and CEO, Roadway Express, Inc., Akron, OHM. GORDON WOLMAN, Professor of Geography and Environmental Engineering, The Johns Hopkins UniversityEX OFFICIO MEMBERSMIKE ACOTT, President, National Asphalt Pavement AssociationJOSEPH M. CLAPP, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, DOTSUSAN M. COUGHLIN, Director and COO, The American Trucking Associations Foundation, L. DORN, Federal Transit Administrator, DOTELLEN G. ENGLEMAN, Research and Special Programs Administrator, DOTROBERT B. FLOWERS (Lt. Gen., Army), Chief of Engineers and Commander, Army Corps of EngineersHAROLD K. FORSEN, Foreign Secretary, National Academy of EngineeringJANE F. GARVEY, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, DOTTHOMAS J. GROSS, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Transportation Technologies, Department of EnergyEDWARD R.

7 HAMBERGER, President and CEO, Association of American RailroadsJOHN C. HORSLEY, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation OfficialsMICHAEL P. JACKSON, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, DOTJAMES M. LOY (Adm., Coast Guard), Commandant, Coast GuardWILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transportation AssociationMARGO T. OGE, Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, EPAMARY E. PETERS, Federal Highway Administration, DOTVALENTIN J. RIVA, President and CEO, American Concrete Paving AssociationJEFFREY W. RUNGE, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, DOTALLAN RUTTER, Federal Railroad Administrator, DOT WILLIAM G. SCHUBERT (Capt.), Administrator, Maritime Association, DOTASHISH K.

8 SEN, Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, DOTROBERT A. VENEZIA, Earth Sciences Application Specialist, National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationTRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMT ransportation Research Board Executive Committee Subcommittee for TCRPE. DEAN CARLSON, Kansas DOT (Chair)JENNIFER L. DORN, Federal Transit Administration, DOTGENEVIEVE GIULIANO, University of Southern California, Los AngelesLESTER A. HOEL, University of VirginiaWILLIAM W. MILLAR, American Public Transportation AssociationJOHN M. SAMUELS, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, VAROBERT E. SKINNER, JR., Transportation Research BoardPAUL P. SKOUTELAS, Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PAMICHAEL S. TOWNES, Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads, Hampton, VATRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMTCRP SYNTHESIS 43 Effective Use of Transit WebsitesA Synthesis of Transit PracticeCONSULTANTBRUCE SCHALLERS challer ConsultingBrooklyn, PANELMARK ANDERSON, San Diego TransitSTEPHEN BLAND, York County Transportation AuthorityMURRAY BOND, washington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityCHRISTINE NELSON BURR, Charleston Area Regional Transit AuthorityDENNIS CANNON, Access BoardDARETH MURRAY, Tri-MetL.

9 JAMES OLIVETTI, American Public Transportation AssociationROBERT G. OWENS, Federal Transit AdministrationPETER L. SHAW, Transportation Research BoardSUBJECT AREASP ublic TransitResearch Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in Cooperation with the Transit Development CorporationTRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD National RESEARCH COUNCILNATIONAL ACADEMY PRESSWASHINGTON, 2002 TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMThe nation s growth and the need to meet mobility, environ-mental, and energy objectives place demands on public transitsystems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need ofupgrading, must expand SERVICE area, increase SERVICE frequency,and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is nec-essary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate newtechnologies from other industries, and to introduce innovationsinto the transit industry.

10 The Transit Cooperative Research Pro-gram (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which thetransit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions tomeet demands placed on need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB SpecialReport 213 Research for Public Transit: New Directions, pub-lished in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the FederalTransit Administration (FTA). A report by the American PublicTransportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, alsorecognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP,modeled after the longstanding and successful National Coopera-tive Highway Research Program, undertakes research and othertechnical activities in response to the needs of transit SERVICE provid-ers.