Universal Transit Farecard Standards (UTFS)Task Force

Tom Parker (TF Chair), BART

Greg Garback (Spec Ind Liaison), WMATA

Rick Barrett, (Fin Mgmt Vice-Chair), Quattran

Dave Phelps, APTA

Chung-Chung Tam (Fin Mgmt Chair), CTA

Tom Peacock, APTA

Henry Rosen (Fare Media Chair), PATH

Leisa Moniz, Volpe

Mary Beth Cobleigh-Beal (Ops Co-Chair), CTA

Tim Weisenberger, Volpe

Total non-committed funds available as of Aug 1 is $147K

A $5,000 extension to the BAH study to address the RIS Part 4 document was approved.

Tony K. will pursue additional program funding from the Bus CEO Committee.

Tom Peacock reported:

The budget numbers improved from the Apr 15 update because the Operation Committee RFP was reduced to $40K. The total available funds as of Aug 1 (non-committed funds) is $147K

Tam stated that as he understands, BAH has requested an extension of the study to include RIS part 4 document. Tom hadn’t seen anything from them yet. Rick stated that they will ask for an additional $5K for this work. Tom asked the group if it was appropriate to grant the expanded work request. The group said it was.

Tom also stated that Tony Kouneski will pursue additional funding from the Bus CEOs Committee. Tom spoke with Ron Barnes, who is the APTA Vice Chair for Bus and he suggested it may be do-able.

There would be 'NO' votes in the IP recirculation ballot if the Policy stands as in the current draft.

The nature of the accommodation reached would not change the provisions of the IP Policy, but rather is in the scope of the applicability of the Policy

The IP issues that vendors have are linked to the scope of the technical work.

The reduced scope will achieve interoperability but not vendor neutrality.

Next steps are:

1. A meeting with TF leaders, APTA, and key stakeholders at APTA HQ. This meeting will be mid-September.
2. Once all agree to the policy, it will be presented to the Rail CEOs Committee on Oct 10 and request policy be implemented on interim basis
3. Task Force Ballot
4. Formal implementation

Dave reported:

Resolution of the IP Policy issues continues to be a "work in progress", but significant steps forward occurred last week. As background, the draft prepared in the spring was acceptable only with great reluctance to ERG and unacceptable to one vendor. This was reported to the CEOs in Miami on June 6.

There have been several discussions with the vendor to resolve the problem, culminating in an all day meeting last Thursday, Aug. 4 attended by Tom Parker, Tony Kouneski and Dave. The result, APTA believes, is that there is now have the basis of an accommodation. The nature of the accommodation would not change the provisions of the IP Policy, but rather is in the scope of the applicability of the Policy. The results of the meeting and the accommodation are being documented.

Once everyone is in agreement on the outcome of the 8/5 meeting, the following are the next steps:

1. APTA will call a face to face meeting approximately the second week of September to review the agreement, and the IP Policy with key stakeholders, Task Force Leadership, senior APTA staff, and others as deemed appropriate.
2. Assuming the policy is acceptable to all, it will be presented to the Rail CEOs committee Oct 10 in Atlanta and get their permission to implement the policy on an interim basis
3. Submit the Policy to a formal TF ballot.
4. Format implementation.

The interim implementation will include letters of acknowledgement from all UTFS participants.

There were extensive discussions of the fact that the scope of the technical documents in the program is tied to the IP concerns of the vendors. The definition and scope of the interfaces between card reader and reader and operator system are the key. There is a proposed change in approach. The TF leaders worked to ensure that all program goals are met.

The original program goals were, among others, to have interoperability within and between regions and the prevent agencies from being "locked into" vendors due to technology non-compatibility issues. The baseline for the program is ISO compliance. The reduction in scope that is being proposed by one vendor member will achieve interoperability, but not the vendor neutrality goals. The TF leaders are being forceful in maintaining a scope that will achieve all goals set out for the program.

Rick suggested that WP1, 3, and 4 continue to complete their work and begin WP2 to address reader-central computer interface.

It was suggested that if PANYNJ will develop a reader portion of the RIS, should UTFS use that document to review and edit?

Tam is trying to coordinate TCIP and UTFS with the CEN IFM document. A workshop is proposed for September. WP4 will have a face-to-face meeting in coordination with this workshop.

Work Package Updates:

WP1 will send their spec to a Committee ballot approximately Sep 15

WP3 has been experiencing participation issues, is still on schedule for a Dec 04 completion.

WP4 will potentially have a face-to-face meeting in coordination with the CEN-UTFS workshop proposed in September.

PANYNJ will submit RIS to ANSI/ISO. Should APTA address this to coordinate efforts?

Discussion was an extension of the scope and IP discussion. Rick asked if it was the intention to complete Work Packages 1, 3, and 4 and then begin WP2 to develop the reader-Operator Central Computer interface? It was discussed that the PANYNJ may develop this piece as a next step for the RIS. Perhaps PANYNJ can write this document and WP2 can be a review/edit technical working group similar to the way WP1 edited the RIS.

Tam added that the ISO TC204 WAG 8 has published the Interoperable Fare Management Part 1 draft developed by CEN. WP4 has reviewed it and hopes to use it in their work and to work with CEN moving forward.

Tam also wants to gage the applicability to TCIP and UTFS. The CEN group members engage "mirror" groups in their home countries and this would provide a US mirror group. Need FTA approval for this and funding is an issue (at FTA). The group agreed that this would be a good arrangement.

Work Package Activities:

WP1 will send their spec to a Committee ballot approximately Sep 15

WP3 has been experiencing participation issues, but Gary Yamamura has taken the lead of the document sections not being worked on to date. Still on schedule for a Dec 04 completion.

WP4 will potentially have a face-to-face meeting in coordination with the CEN-UTFS workshop proposed in September.

Tam also stated that he understand that the PANYNJ will submit RIS to ANSI/ISO. He suggested that APTA might want to address this to coordinate efforts.

The Fare Media Committee next meets on Aug 23

The "Farecard Procurement Procedures" document was approved on 7/19, but final comments must be resolved.

The Magnetics WG having trouble achieving quorums at meetings. Tim W. will work with Rich Lobron to send individual email to WG distribution confirming their desire to participate.

Henry reported: that the next Fare Media Committee meeting would be Aug 23. The primary purpose would be to review final comment resolution of the Farecard Procurement Procedures document prior to submitting to Task Force ballot.

The Magnetic WG is having a difficult time achieving quorums on their teleconferences. The last 2 calls were void due to lack of participation. Tim W. will work with Rich Lobron to send individual emails to all those on the WG distribution list confirming their desire to participate.