What it is and why your system should participate
Identifying Transit Benefits via the Transit Performance Monitoring System (TPMS)
The Transit Performance Monitoring System (TPMS) is funded by FTA and administered by APTA. It compiles and analyzes information collected by transit operators with passenger surveys in order to be able to inform elected public officials on the valuable benefits and services that transit provides, and to underline the fact that transit funding is important. To date, 40 transit operators have participated in the various rounds of TPMS surveys. Information gathered from these surveys has been presented to Congress in the latest version of the FTA and FHWA's "Condition and Performance Report," a biennial report to Congress that describes the status of the nation's transit and highway systems. This is the first time that this report has included information from TPMS surveys of transit passengers specifically, rather than from more a general personal travel survey.
Participating transit systems are being asked to blend the TPMS questions into their existing more locally-focused, on-board customer surveys. There are 13 core TPMS questions, which ask for a range of information, including car availability, frequency and duration of transit use, and trip purpose. They include three questions that are used to assign each trip the type of public benefit or benefits that it provides. These public benefits, according to type of trip made, are described as follows:
Congestion Management -- Trips made by people with autos available for the trip, but who choose to use transit instead thereby relieving congestion and increasing speeds on major arterials.
Basic Mobility -- Trips made by people without a car available, usually described as trips by people who are transit dependent, often due to age, disability, or low income.
Livable Communities -- Trips made by people in locations with frequent and reliable transit services as well as land use patterns that make it easy to reach bus stops and rail stations by walking.
APTA Would Appreciate Your Support:
At the current time, APTA is looking for transit operators who would be interested in participating in TPMS. If you would like to help to promote a public awareness in the benefits of transit and are planning to conduct on-board passenger surveys in the fall of 2003, please contact Rich Weaver at APTA, rweaver@apta.com. Rich will tell you what you need to do to participate, and how APTA can assist you with the implementation of this survey.
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