TO: All APTA Members
FROM:
William W. Millar
President
DATE: July 27, 2006
SUBJECT: Fall 2006 Study Mission - Integrated Passenger Information Systems - England, France And Germany
I am pleased to invite you to join a select group of APTA members who will take part in our study mission this fall focusing on various approaches that have been taken by transit agencies to develop integrated passenger information systems in England, France and Germany, September 17-22. The participants in the mission will meet in London on September 17 and conclude their program in Munich on September 22.
Many transit agencies are now seeking to move beyond past practices to technology deployment based upon open architectures, integrated applications and interoperability, following the implementation of various stand-alone technology systems for communications, surveillance, fare collection and information processing which were developed without an overall system-wide integration strategy. This study mission is designed to see how these issues are being addressed by European transit systems that are developing fully integrated, multimodal, databases being used for advanced customer information, as well as operations and maintenance information.
The first two stops for the study mission will be London and Paris. Several years ago, London Transport and RATP developed a common communications backbone or data model to use in integrating their respective passenger information systems. They have now moved on to implementing their new systems on a modular basis, utilizing products from a variety of suppliers, and study mission participants will be able to learn about the differing approaches these systems have taken.
The final stop for the study mission will be Munich, Germany, where a different approach has been taken. In that city, one primary supplier has been used to develop and integrate a robust passenger information system for the various bus and rail agencies serving the region. Munich went to great efforts to upgrade their systems prior to the World Cup. The system covers the gamut of traveler information delivery methods, is integrated with the highway system and is considered a premiere showcase in Europe.
This study mission will be a unique cultural and learning experience promoting information sharing, networking and business opportunities for participating industry members. We hope to have a balanced mix of transit systems and business members participating.
The cost of the five day study mission in London, Paris and Munich will be $2,800 per person, including local and intercity transportation, translation services, hotel accommodations and most meals. Participants will be responsible for the cost of, and arranging for, their own travel to and from Europe. APTA's travel agency, Diplomat Travel, is available to assist with travel arrangements for the mission trip participants upon request. Participants should plan to arrive at the designated hotel in London no later than 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 17. A program booklet with system and city profiles, as well as the mission itinerary, will be provided prior to departure.
The size of the study mission is limited to a maximum of 15 participants for logistical reasons, and we expect the trip to be over-subscribed. To ensure your space, we ask that you complete the attached reservation form and return it to APTA no later than August 15, with a deposit of $500. The balance is due September 5. The study mission reservation deposit is refundable if the trip is cancelled or over subscribed.
If you have any questions, please contact APTA Staff Advisor Fran Hooper of the Member Services Department at (202) 496-4876 or fhooper@apta.com. We look forward to having you join us for this exciting opportunity.
Reservation
Forms
Word
Version (right click on link and save into your computer for editing)
Printable
pdf Version
Please fax or mail reply by August 15 to:
Fran Hooper
American Public Transportation Association
1666 K Street, N.W., Suite 1100
Washington, D.C. 20006
FAX - (202) 496-4331
Some of these pages may include links to documents in the Adobe PDF format. Please download the Adobe PDF reader if you have not already done so.
