Best Practices for ATIS Websites: Lessons Learned From Award Winners

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Best Practices for ATIS WebsitesLessons Learned
From Award Winners

• Sari Radin
• Economic and
• Industry Analysis Division

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Focus

• Lessons that could apply to 511
• Section 1201 of the SAFETEALU  (Pub. L. 10959,
  119 Stat. 1144), the Real-time System Management
  Information Program

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Awards Program

• Collected objective info on ATIS websites
• 2001 through 2004 reviewed all US ATIS websites
  for content and usability
• 2005 looked for innovative features
• Interviewed award winners4 traffic, 4 transit
  per year
• Feedback and evaluations
• Suggestions for other agencies
• Plans or goals

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Current Condition Information
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Themes

• Assess what the users want
• Think system and integration
• Plan for high usage of the system
• Focus on usability

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Assess What Users Want

• Look at other websites
• Surveys
• Usability testing
• Feedback on the site
• Feedback through 511 systems

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Think system and integration

• Operations, maintenance, and construction
• Public affairs
• Organizations supporting nondriving modes
• Other states in the region
• 511 telephone systems

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Plan for high usage

• Good websites can attract a lot of hits on
  ordinary days
• Use can spike during events that cause problems
  with the transportation systems
• NY MTA got 10,000,000 hits per day after 9/11

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Focus on usability

• Think in terms of audience
• Design with accessibility in mind
• Use technology to enable a broader range of
  information to be presented in multiple formats
  and on multiple devices
• Consider providing personalization and
  customization
• Be persistent in quality control

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Innovations

• Lots of low cost forms for maintenance and
  emergency work
• Multimodal e-mail alerts

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Comments or Questions?

• Contact Information
• Sari Radin
• radin_at_volpe.dot.gov
• 617 494-2209