GUIDED TOUR THROUGH THE SECTION 15 MAZE

Before the first year's Section 15 data were released hopes were high among academics, researchers, and policy makers. It was believed that this wealth of new, detailed, consistent, and accurate information would help answer conclusively questions about transit productivity and performance and about whether subsidies contribute to better performance or are simply wasted in inefficiencies and wage increases. In addition, the data base was eagerly awaited as a tool that would assist in making "peer" comparisons among transit systems, determine the reasons for performance variations, and possibly help in shaping future federal and state subsidy allocation formulas. After 4 consecutive years of data collection, however, Section 15 proved to be far from what was originally envisioned. Although the quality of data has been improving, for all practical purposes, a uniform reporting system that includes all transit properties receiving federal assistance does not yet exist because of numerous problems that may be classified broadly into four categories: (a) access and structural problems, (b) erroneous and missing data, (c) inconsistencies and definitional ambiguities, and (d) exclusion of important data elements. The problems that were encountered in these areas when using the first 4 years' Section 15 data are presented. Suggestions are also made about how users may solve some of these problems and how future editions of Section 15 data may be improved.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1985/1013/1013-003.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=GUIDED+TOUR+THROUGH+THE+SECTION+15+MAZE&author=A.+Bladikas&author=C.+Papadimitriou&publication_year=1985
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Bladikas, Athanassios K
  • Papadimitriou, Charles
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 20-27
• Monograph Title: Improving utilization of transit resources
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1013
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data collection; Economics; Performance; Productivity; Public transit; Statistics; Subsidies; Transit operating agencies
• Identifier Terms: Urban Mass Transportation Act
• Uncontrolled Terms: Performance indicators
• Old TRIS Terms: Umta section 15
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Data and Information Technology; Economics; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00453104
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309039029
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 27 2004 9:59PM