Case USA66: Why a Public Transport Authority Traded Route Mapping Tools for Enterprise Architecture Strategy
- Sunil Dutt Jha
- Jul 23
- 1 min read
Overview:
This case is part of a 100-diagnostic series revealing how US transit agencies have mislabeled digital mapping initiatives as “Enterprise Architecture progress.”
A recurring pattern is treating upgraded route mapping tools as a substitute for an enterprise transit strategy.
Real-time bus and train positions appeared on public apps, travel times became more accurate, and rider satisfaction surveys improved — yet the enterprise structure linking scheduling, fleet maintenance, fare collection, and citywide traffic coordination was never modeled.
P1–P6 Insight Preview:
P1 (Strategy): Mapping tools were justified as part of a “modern rider experience” goal, but there was no enterprise roadmap for aligning them with capacity management, urban planning, or intermodal transport integration.
P2 (Process): Passenger information flows improved, but driver scheduling, maintenance windows, and emergency rerouting processes remained isolated.
P3 (System): Mapping tools didn’t integrate behaviorally with scheduling, fleet, or ticketing systems.
P4 (Component): GPS units, tracking servers, and passenger apps ran on different update cycles with separate governance.
P5 (Implementation): Upgrades were delivered quickly, but backlog items related to cross-system coordination were deprioritized.
P6 (Operations): Business ops could inform riders faster, but tech ops managed constant data mismatches; both struggled to coordinate with other transit modes in disruptions.
Stakeholder Impact Mapping:
CEO/Transit GM: Feels P1 — public perception improves, but systemic efficiency gains don’t materialize.
CIO: Feels P3 & P4 — every system integration requires custom work, raising costs.
Sales Head (Rider Engagement): Feels P2 & P5 — can market real-time updates, but can’t guarantee service reliability during disruptions.
Chief EA: Feels P1–P6 — a visibility layer without underlying enterprise alignment.
Head of Fleet Operations: Feels P2, P3, & P6 — still manually adjusts routes and shifts when disruptions occur.
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