TravInfo Evaluation: Institutional Element Phase 1 Results

Problem and Method

From the interviews, it is clear that TravInfo has been quite effective in achieving one of its foremost goals: developing partnership between the public and private sectors.

At the same time, there appears to be considerable opportunity to improve the organization's efficiency. In particular, interviewee responses indicated some confusion about the roles of the various committees within the TravInfo project.

Interviewees were nearly unanimous that TravInfo is working toward the right goals, though many felt the project is overly ambitious.

Findings

TravInfo is a field operational test (FOT) of advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) for the San Francisco Bay Area. TravInfo aims to develop a multi-modal traveler information system for the San Francisco Bay Area, combining public and private sector talents.

This report outlines the TravInfo organizational structure, TravInfo goals, and roles of the participating organizations. This report also identifies institutional, legal, and technical barriers that present challenges to the fulfillment of the TravInfo objectives.

As part of this study, a wave of institutional interviews was conducted as part of the TravInfo evaluation. Twenty-one core participants were interviewed, including most of the Management Board and Steering Committee members, and most of the project staff. The results of these interviews provide an insight into the effectiveness of TravInfo and areas in which it can be improved.