Use of Automatic Vehicle Monitoring, Vehicle Health Monitoring, and Diagnostic Systems by Transit Agencies (2025)
Chapter: Front Matter
TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT SELECTION COMMISSION*
CHAIR
Jameson Auten
Lane Transit District
VICE CHAIR
Ryan I. Daniel
St. Cloud Metro Bus
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Brad Miller
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
Jeanne Krieg
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority (retired)
MEMBERS
Rashidi Barnes
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority
Andrea Burnside
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Julia Castillo
Heart of Iowa Transit Authority
April Chan
San Mateo County Transit District
Desmond Cole
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
David Harris
New Mexico Department of Transportation
Tim Healy
Sound Transit
Brendon Hemily
Hemily and Associates
Vince Huerta
East Texas Council of Governments
Debra Johnson
Denver Regional Transportation District
Joseph Leader
HDR
Benjamin Limmer
Connecticut Department of Transportation
Bacarra Mauldin
Edward Kizeto, LLC
Jessica Mefford-Miller
Valley Metro
Raymond Melleady
USSC Group
Meghan Merritt
Movitas Mobility
Karen Philbrick
Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University
Elizabeth Presutti
Charlotte Area Transit System
Charles Reeves
Pittsburgh Regional Transit
Catherine Rinaldi
Consultant
Jeffrey Rosenberg
Amalgamated Transit Union
Judy Shanley
Easterseals
Frank White, III
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Tariq Bokhari
FTA
Victoria Sheehan
TRB
Gloria Shepherd
FHWA
Paul P. Skoutelas
APTA
Jim Tymon
AASHTO
TOPS COMMISSION STAFF ADVISOR
Arthur L. Guzzetti
APTA
SECRETARY
Monique R. Evans
TRB
__________________
* Membership as of August 2025.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2025 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
OFFICERS
Chair: Leslie S. Richards, Professor of Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Vice Chair: Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre
Executive Director: Victoria Sheehan, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC
MEMBERS
James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ
Carlos M. Braceras, Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City
Douglas C. Ceva, Vice President, Customer Lead Solutions, Prologis, Inc., Jupiter, FL
Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul
Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany
Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington
Andrew Fremier, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco, CA
Martha Grabowski, Professor Emerita, Information Systems, Le Moyne College, Madden College of Business & Economics, Cazenovia, NY
Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA
Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston
Scott C. Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames
Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA
Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta
Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Steward T.A. Pickett, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY
Susan A. Shaheen, Professor and Co-Director, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California, Berkeley
Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Bryan Bedford, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC
Michael R. Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC
Tariq Bokhari, Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC
Steven G. Bradbury, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Steven Cliff, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento
Drew Feeley, Acting Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC
LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Germantown, MD
Firas Ibrahim, Director, Office of Research, Development, and Technology, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), Washington, DC
Jason Kelly, Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
Sandra Knight, President, WaterWonks, LLC, Washington, DC
Ben Kochman, Acting Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Washington, DC
Niloo Parvinashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Members Coordinating Council
Gloria Shepherd, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC
Karl Simon, Director, Transportation and Climate Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
Sang Yi, Acting Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration, Washington, DC
__________________
* Membership as of August 2025.
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
TCRP SYNTHESIS 185
Use of Automatic Vehicle Monitoring, Vehicle Health Monitoring, and Diagnostic Systems by Transit Agencies
A Synthesis of Transit Practice
Tess Williams
Scott Baker
AECOM
Arlington, VA
Harpal Kapoor
Sandeep Sawant
OMNI Strategy, LLC
Baltimore, MD
Subject Areas
Public Transportation
Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the American Public Transportation Association
2025
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
The nationʼs growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and introduce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it.
The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, modeled after the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of transit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes various transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices.
TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooperating organizations: FTA; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and APTA. APTA is responsible for forming the independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Commission.
Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Commission to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Commission defines funding levels and expected products.
Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel appointed by TRB. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Because research cannot have the desired effect if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on disseminating TCRP results to the intended users of the research: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners.
TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively address common operational problems. TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and training programs.
TCRP SYNTHESIS 185
Project J-07/Topic SA-56
ISSN 1073-4880
ISBN 978-0-309-99599-3
© 2025 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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Cover photo courtesy of San Diego Metropolitan Transit System.
NOTICE
The report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation, FTA, in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed or implied in this document are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors.
The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.
The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the Transit Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturersʼ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
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Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.
The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major program divisions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. The Boardʼs varied activities annually engage about 8,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state departments of transportation, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.
Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.
COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR TCRP SYNTHESIS 185
Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Gwen Chisholm Smith, Manager, Transit Cooperative Research Program
Jamaal Schoby, Senior Program Officer
Oulimata Khoule, Senior Program Assistant
Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications
TCRP PROJECT J-07 PANEL
Rachel Dungca, Metro Transit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN (Chair)
Jameson Auten, Lane Transit District, Eugene, OR
Mallory Avis, Battle Creek Transit, Battle Creek, MI
Raymond Chan, Arcadis, Kettering, OH
Roderick B. Diaz, Southern California Regional Rail Authority, Los Angeles, CA
Mark Donaghy, Petersburg, KY
Christian T. Kent, Christian T. Kent, Transit Management Consulting, LLC, Virginia Beach, VA
Beverly Neff, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, San Diego, CA
Ed F. Watt, WattADR, Rockaway Park, NY
David C. Wilcock, VHB, Boston, MA
Robert Earl Williams III, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, Ann Arbor, MI
Tara Echols, FTA Liaison
Alexander Pompa, FTA Liaison
Arthur L. Guzzetti, APTA Liaison
TOPIC SA-56 PANEL
Jose Barreda, Maryland Transit Administration, Baltimore, MD
Raymond Chan, Arcadis, Kettering, OH
Chuck Ferguson III, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Kansas City, MO
Krish Inbarajan, Preteckt, Weston, FL
Macky Li, Clever Devices, Woodbury, NY
Thomas Pascarella, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, San Diego, CA
Michael Reid, St. Cloud Metro Bus, St. Cloud, MN
Thomas (TJ) John Ross, Westchester County Department of Transportation, Yonkers, NY
ABOUT THE TCRP SYNTHESIS PROGRAM
Transit administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which information already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and practice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a consequence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviating the problem.
There is information on nearly every subject of concern to the transit industry. Much of it derives from research or from the work of practitioners faced with problems in their day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling and evaluating such useful information and to make it available to the entire transit community, the Transit Cooperative Research Program Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Commission authorized the Transportation Research Board to undertake a continuing study. This study, TCRP Project J-07, “Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices,” searches out and synthesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute a TCRP report series, Synthesis of Transit Practice.
This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact format, without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Each report in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those measures found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems.
FOREWORD
By Jamaal Schoby
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
TCRP Synthesis 185: Use of Automatic Vehicle Monitoring, Vehicle Health Monitoring, and Diagnostic Systems by Transit Agencies presents the state of practice among public transit agencies on the adoption of emerging technologies to predict and address vehicle maintenance needs. The synthesis includes information on integration of approaches, benefits, and barriers to implementing these innovative technologies.
Under TCRP Project J-07/Topic SA-56, AECOM was asked to synthesize information that documents the use of automatic vehicle monitoring, vehicle health monitoring, diagnostic systems, and preventive maintenance technology at public transit agencies. Information used in this study was obtained through a literature review, a survey of 15 public transit agencies, and interviews that were used to develop in-depth case examples. In Chapter 4, three case examples show agenciesʼ approaches to deploying maintenance systems, staff training, and integration of emerging technologies, as well as the benefits of these efforts.
The audience for this synthesis is operations and maintenance employees at public transit agencies. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on page iv. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand.
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CONTENTS
Chapter 3 Online Survey of Transit Operators
Survey Process and Methodology
Takeaways from the Survey Responses
Capital District Transportation Authority
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority
San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
Takeaways and Conclusion of Case Examples
Chapter 5 Summary of Findings, Conclusion, and Need for Additional Research
Current State of Technology Adoption
Insights from Industry Experience
Appendix A Bus Components and Systems
Appendix B Annotated Bibliography
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