THE CCIS EXPERIMENT: COMPARING TRANSIT INFORMATION RETRIEVAL MODES AT THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAPID TRANSIT DISTRICT

This report documents the results of a controlled experiment performed in the Telephone Information Section of the Marketing Department at the Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD) in Los Angeles. The Telephone Information Section is the site of a prototype deployment of automated transit information systems (ATIS) technology known as the Computerized Customer Information System (CCIS). Through CCIS, the SCRTD hopes to (1) reduce the cost of providing telephone information; (2) increase telephone information productivity and (3) improve the level of service provided by the information agents. A controlled experiment was designed and implemented to measure differences in productivity and response accuracy between information agents using automated and manual retrieval methods. In the course of the experiment, a predetermined set of 36 itinerary-type transit information questions was asked to each of nine test agents. Analysis of the results showed that statistically significant differences in performance were discernible among agents of varying skill/experience levels and between retrieval modes. It was concluded that CCIS is indeed a viable alternative to manual information retrieval methods and has potential for further application in transit telephone information operations.

• Corporate Authors:

  Hill (Wilson) Associates, Incorporated

  140 Federal Street
  Boston, MA  United States  02110

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  Office of Technical Assistance & Safety, 400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Phillips, R O
• Publication Date: 1984-3

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 112 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Information processing; Information retrieval; Operating costs; Passenger information systems; Productivity; Telephone
• Identifier Terms: Southern California Rapid Transit District; Urban Mass Transportation Act
• Old TRIS Terms: Umta section 6
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00386391
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-MA-06-0126-84-4Final Rpt., DOT-TSC-UMTA-84-1
• Contract Numbers: DTRS-57-81-00054
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 28 1984 12:00AM