Résumé
This paper describes some findings on the making of three transit user information websites in a large metropolitan area (Montreal): a large transit authority, a midsize transit authority and a regional agency that integrates more than twenty small transit operators. It relates the steps from the first wish to publish information on Internet until the usage of a fully integrated and comprehensive geographical information system for transportation (GIS-T) on a web platform.
Several efforts are needed to outcome the relative state of informational chaos brought by the usage of software and databases not directly aimed to web user information systems (WUIS) in transportation organizations. Websites must provide a continuous user-friendly interface in order to establish an efficient communication between the user and the transit authority, even thought underlying data come from several sources: operation, information center, public relations, planning department, finances and external sources. The transportation organizations need to maintain a high level of responsibility on the data to secure the users about the accuracy and the quality of the information.
The paper focuses on stakes related to websites in transportation organizations: challenging the information chaos, achieving information equilibrium and being aware of the new information preoccupations. It then addresses the mounting of a WUIS on the base of three parallel threads:
·The instrumental thread regroups the software needed to support the information system: bus stops geocoding, operational data integration, georeference management, network planning models, website generation and update tools.
·The informational thread describes the following states of the data: raw data (chaos), data structures in database management systems, geographical information systems for transportation (GIS-T), conceptual information access map, intranet site (to validate the information) and finally, the internet website.
·The procedural thread is about the sequence of procedures needed to obtain the WUIS: data collection, structures, georeference pool, operational know-how, formation, validation, and maintenance.
Several experiments have demonstrated the necessity to link user information websites to a coherent and comprehensive GIS-T in order to manage, generate, display and process online information. Three websites have been developed for the Montreal region, involving corporate information, service description (routes, maps), supply definition (schedules, bus stops), accessibility (trip generators, transfer point), rates (and tickets POS) along with interactive information (path calculation, events processing).
The following elements are presented:
·Information access maps. The sequence of hyperlinks to access transportation in a web page can vary depending upon the user ability to interact within the site and the user knowledge of the transit network and services.
·Generated HTML pages. Information on routes and schedules can be displayed on HTML pages pre-generated from the GIS. These pages are specially made for Internet purposes and are not directly derived from paper publications.
·Dynamic page for specific information. The websites can benefit from browsers interactivity. HTML request forms with script programs are used to calculate bus stops near a specified location. Website can also accept other nominative information like street addresses, intersections, trip generators, and bus stop phone number. Finally, cookies and subscription are used to interact more closely with the user, giving information on his common routes and services.
·Interactive path calculation. This function determines, on the sidewalk network, the most probable entry points to the transit network from given origin and destination (anyone from addresses, intersections, trip generator, bus stops, etc.). It then calculates the best paths between these locations, finds starting time from schedules and return a text-like answer which describe the complete path.
·Integrated functions for management and validation. The exploitation of the GIS-T conducts to a wide range of Intranet applications within the organization: bus stop database, interlining paths description, operational reports, transactions and events processing. |