HISTORY OF FTIS DEVELOPMENT

FTIS Prototype Development (February 2000-December 2000)

The prototype was successfully completed in December 2000 and it includes the following development tasks: (1) integrated the complete NTD data for the 1984-1999 data years; (2) developed a user-friendly interface for the retrieval and analysis of the NTD data; (3) developed customized functions for easy viewing and plotting of the NTD trend and peer performance data; and (4) developed a stand-alone GIS interface that allows quick access to spatial data pertaining to Florida transit agencies. A beta version was delivered to Florida transit agencies for their review.

FTIS 2001/2002 Development (June 2001-July 2002)

Following a positive review of the beta version, the FDOT funded the FTIS 2001/2002 development, which significantly refined and expanded the system functionalities and resulted in the first official release of FTIS in March 2002. The following major tasks were completed under this project: (1) updated existing GIS layers and developed the metadata files; (2) expanded NTD related functions to generate standard Florida performance measures, create user-defined measures based on formula setup, generate Crystal reports, display NTD data definition, and perform table sorting; (3) incorporated all functions implemented in the TIMESLink program; (4) expanded GIS functions to include network and data editing, buffer zone analysis, FTIS-ArcView linkage, thematic mapping, spatial select, and aerial photograph background display; (5) developed the first version of FTIS website; (6) integrated 2000 NTD data; (7) developed the FTIS online help; and (8) shifted from the VB install to the more professional InstallShield install. Some useful functions not covered in the original scope were also implemented. They included creating interactive cross table and plotting, computing totals by any combinations of system variables, creating variables through formulas, generating constant dollars based on any specific year, freezing variables in tables, creating pie/bar charts on GIS map, changing feature color at mouse cursor, etc.

FTIS 2003 Development (September 2002-September 2003)

The FTIS 2003 development focused on both system maintenance and new development. Under this project, a number of bugs were fixed, some formula and data problems were corrected, and some software operations were enhanced, resulting in a very stable system. Specific accomplishments from this project included: (1) improved and expanded the FTIS website to include various features, including user registration, user forum, and complete aerial photographs for the majority of Florida transit systems; (2) integrated the 2001 NTD data; (3) updated the FTIS interface, the User's Guide, and the online help; (4) developed and conducted FTIS workshops (one long and two short); (5) developed various new NTD related functions; (6) developed an easy-to-use peer selection process for both systemwide and statewide data; (7) added ability to perform simple, multiple, and polynomial regression modeling, to plot regression functions and scattered points, and to generate general detailed general statistics and plot frequency distributions; (8) to automatically generate reports with minimum user input (user only needs to select system of interest, with ability to change default settings); (9) updated GIS layers to include Census data from Summary Tape File 3, which includes data related to income, employment, travel, vehicle ownership, and disability; (10) incorporated complete data for NTD Forms 300 and 301 data for years 1984-1991; (11) added ability to move all saved values (peer groups, variable groups, queries, workspaces, etc.) from an existing install to an updated install; (12) aggregated nationwide data for Florida standard variables; (13) added ability to select and display systems by GIS map at both the system and state levels; (14) added ability to perform query for statewide data, to save and retrieve queries, to enter a search string to find transit systems, and to save and print NTD display forms; and (15) developed the “report card” feature that allows the user to select a system and obtain a report card that show the grades for each Florida standard variable.

FTIS 2004 Development (January 2004-January 2005)

Other than the regular project activities that includes maintaining the FTIS software and website, conducting workshop, and updating user’s manual and online help, the FTIS 2004 development included the following major developments: (1) Added the nationwide 2002 NTD data and the Florida preliminary 2003 NTD data, (2) added ability to retrieve, edit, save, delete, email INTDAS output table, (3) created a special Excel spreadsheet that provides a quick summary of several major variables for the Florida systems; (4) developed a program to retrieve data from forms downloaded from the NTD website; (5) added commercialized employment data summarized from InfoUSA; (6) updated the route layers for all Florida fixed route systems and added GIS files for the three new transit systems; (7) added water and park layers; (8) added street, block, blockgroup, and tract layers for all Florida counties that are not currently served by a transit system; (8) added capability to do print layout; (6) added an application function to identify potential intersections for implementation of transit signal priority; (9) added an application function to identify transit service areas based on two different approaches; (10) added an application function to search for transit route that maximizes a user-selected objective value; (11) Added a simple demonstration function to show potential applications of Automatic Passenger Counter (APC) data; and (12) added TransCAD as an alternative GIS interface for accessing FTGIS data.

FTIS 2005 Development (February 2005-March 2006)

FTIS 2005 improves and builds upon the powerful analysis capabilities of the Integrated National Transit Database Analysis System (INTDAS) and the Florida Geographic Information System (FTGIS). Some of the updates and new features of this version include: (1) updated NTD data to include 2003 data, thus providing ready access to 20 years of validated NTD data; (2) added preliminary 2004 data for Florida; (3) added 18 new funding related measures as part of the Florida Standard Variables (FSV); (4) added function to display the corresponding NTD form from the list of selected variables; (5) added the 2005 InfoUSA employment data at the tract and blockgroup levels; (6) added the 2005 street layers from GDT Dynamap; (3) updated route layers for 25 fixed-route systems; (7) added an option to automatically load all available shape files into ArcGIS; (8) added capability to import new shape files for a transit system; (9) added an application function to determine the transit coverage level of service based on methodology from Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM); and (10) added an application functions for the Automated Transit Stop Inventory Model (ATSIM). A demonstration GIS layer (R1_Stops.shp) is included for Palm Tran.

Current Development: where FTIS is meeting the Web…

All previous versions of FTIS have been designed to run as standalone applications on desktop computers. While they have served their users well over the years, recent advances in web technologies have brought about new opportunities to significantly improve the accessibility and performance of FTIS. In 2005, FDOT decided to move FTIS to the web for the following reasons:

A web version of FTIS will require no installation by the users. This does not only save time on installation, but it also eliminates any potential install problems due often to system restrictions and incompatibility
A web version of FTIS can be updated as often as needed to include new data, new functionalities, and bug fixes. All updates will be immediately accessible to the users without the need to uninstall and reinstall FTIS. The ability to provide timely access to the most up-to-date information will allow transit officers and policy-makers to respond rapidly to urgent events.
A web version of FTIS will be platform free, i.e., it does not work on just the Microsoft operating systems, but any computer systems installed with a commonly used web browser such as Internet Explorer and Netscape.
A web version of FTIS will require no CD distribution. It will save on the labor, material and shipping cost associated with CD production and distribution.
A web version of FTIS will be flexible in database size. For example, the current desktop version of FTIS requires satellite images to be downloaded from the FTIS homepage, as those image files are simply too large for CD distribution. As FTIS continues to grow in size (for example, to include the large tax parcel, land use data, bus stop pictures, etc.), this flexibility will become more important.
A web version of FTIS will allow tracking of user activities and thus help to better identify the user needs.
A web version of FTIS will make it easy for individual users to keep their customized selections for such items as peer groups, variable variables, layout, etc. on the web server. These saved selections do not get deleted when FTIS is updated.
A web version of FTIS will make it possible for FTIS to apply the many new tools and capabilities that are expected to be made available in the near future as part of the industry trend toward the more versatile web applications.

The current development effort has been mainly to re-code the existing FTIS functionalities on the new web platform. Specifically, the VB code for the desktop version of INTDAS is being re-coded in C# and Javascript and the MapObjects codes for the desktop version of FTGIS is being re-coded in ArcGIS Server.

During the development of the web version of FTIS, the 2004 NTD data became available from FTA and the FDOT decided to release its final desktop version of FTIS, version 2006. As a result of the planned transition to the web, no new functionalities have been added in this release. The main difference between this and the previous release (FTIS 2005) is the addition of the 2004 NTD data and the preliminary 2005 NTD data for Florida systems.

The first web version of FTIS was released in early 2007 and it includes most of the functionalities of the desktop version. In addition, it includes a third system component called ATSIM or Automated Transit Stop Inventory Model, which is a system designed to help transit agencies to collect, analyze, and maintain transit stop inventories.