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Internet Reporting

Overview

Transit agencies must use the National Transit Database (NTD) Internet reporting system to provide their data via reports to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). NTD Internet reporting is the online means for transit agencies to enter, save, review and revise data, and submit reports. It provides for timely and accurate reporting as all tasks and requirements for the NTD can be fulfilled via this system.

This section provides Internet reporting information for the NTD Annual report.

What Has Changed from Prior Year

The reports generation and print functions have been updated. Forms are now available for all report years in PDF format, reports available from the Reports tab can be converted to several file formats.

Internet Reporting System Security

Many measures have been taken to ensure that all data entered into the Internet reporting system are safe and available only to those with proper access. The NTD servers and network are secured behind a firewall. The website is password protected. Additionally, multiple server and database protection layers protect the database files.

Detailed Instructions

The preparation and submission of the Annual Report is a simple process that involves interacting with the online Internet reporting system. The detailed instructions describe this process in the order that most reporters will proceed and cover the following topics:

Accessing Internet Reporting

Internet reporting is accessed from the NTD Homepage.

To access Internet reporting:

Connecting to the Internet

You should use your ISP to connect to the Internet. Internet reporting requires a web browser that is at least a 6.x version (e.g., Internet Explorer 6.0).

If you don’t have the latest version of the browser, go to Microsoft.com to download the latest version free of charge.

Verifying Your Internet Browser Settings

You should verify that your browser is set to check for newer versions of stored pages with each visit to the website.

In Internet Explorer, this is done by accessing Tools / Internet Options / General / Temporary Internet Files Settings / Every Visit to Page.

The National Transit Database Website

Screenshot of the NTD Homepage

The NTD Homepage offers the following information and data for reporters and others interested in the NTD:

Reporting Manuals

Data, Publications and Reference Materials

NTD Resources

Accessing the NTD Report

Clicking the Internet Reporting Login link will open the Internet Reporting Login page. You must enter your user name and password to gain access to NTD Report Home.

Screen shot of the internet reporting log in page

Levels of Access

Internet reporting provides four levels of access to the Annual Report with the following rights

  1. CEO access: Edit forms (data entry), approve Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Certification form (D-10) and submit report
  2. Contact Person access: Edit forms (data entry) and submit report (administrator)
  3. Editor access: Edit forms (data entry), cannot submit report
  4. Viewer access: Viewing rights only for forms, issues, notes and correspondence with no rights to edit or submit.
User Names and Password

The system access level is determined by the user name. The first three characters of the user name define the access level and the last four digits represent the transit agency’s NTD ID. There are four types of user names corresponding to the four access levels available within the Annual Report:

  1. CEO — CEO####
  2. Contact person — NTD####
  3. Editor — EDT####
  4. Viewer — VWR####.

Each transit agency is e-mailed this set of user names with a password for each. Transit agencies determine access within their organizations and distribute user names and passwords accordingly.

A user can change his / her password at any time. Refer to Sys Admin: Changing Your Password for additional information on this topic. Users should be aware that passwords must be changed every ninety days.

Image of hand pointingThe CEO and NTD contact person use the same password for all reporting modules. The CEO and NTD contact person may access all reporting modules (Annual, Monthly and Safety and Security) from the Home tab.

Home: Annual Report Home Page and Program Structure

Screenshot of the Home tab

After completing the Login process you will be taken to the Annual report Home page. You must click the Home tab near the top of any screen to return to the Home tab from another area.

When accessing the Home tab, please take note of the Announcements section. There you will find a listing of FTA announcements and the Rules of Behavior document. All users of NTD’s Internet reporting system are required to sign the Rules of Behavior document annually and return it to the NTD Project site. By clicking the Rules of Behavior link within the Announcement section, you will find a link to the Rules of Behavior PDF for downloading, and printing. Instructions for signing and returning the document are also provided.

NTD Reporting Structure

The Annual Report module has the following tabs:

Sys Admin: Changing Your Password

Screenshot of the Sys Admin tab

The Sys Admin screen provides the ability to change your NTD password.

All passwords expire every 90 days. You can change your password at anytime on the Sys Admin screen by specifying your current and new password. To be valid, a password must be at least eight characters long and contain at least one letter and one number. It cannot contain spaces. Passwords are case-sensitive. If you do not change your password within the ninety-day period, you will be forced to change your password when you first access the system once the ninety-day period has expired. The screen is similar to the one available on the Sys Admin screen and the same password rules apply.

Monthly: Reporting Ridership Data

Screenshot of the Monthly tab

 

Click on the Monthly tab to open the Monthly screen. This screen provides access to the Monthly Module forms for editing and submitting your report to FTA.

Form-by-form instructions and reporting details for the Monthly Module are included in the Monthly Reporting Manual.

Safety and Security: Providing Incident Data

Screenshot of the Safety and Security tab

 

Click on the Safety and Security tab to open the Safety and Security screen. This screen provides access to the Safety and Security Module forms for editing and submitting your reports to FTA.

Form-by-form instructions and reporting details for the Safety and Security Module are included in the Safety and Security Reporting Manual.

Help: Obtaining More Information

Screenshot of the Help tab

Image of hand pointingClick on the Help tab to display the Help screen. The Help screen provides access to the 2009 Annual Reporting Manual for additional help in completing the NTD Annual report forms. The Help screen displays the table of contents for the Reporting Manual with links to each section of the manual.

Annual: Reporting Annual Data

Screen shot of the Annual Tab

Click on the Annual tab to open the Forms Summary screen. The Forms Summary screen lists the 2009 NTD modules and provides links to the specific forms, within each module, that your transit agency is required to complete.

Initially, the Forms Summary screen only provides access to two forms within the Basic Information Module:

  1. Identification form (B-10), and
  2. Contact form (B-20).

After you review, complete and save the B-10 form, Internet reporting automatically generates the forms necessary to complete the NTD Annual report.

The forms generated are dependent upon: 1) the number of vehicles operated in annual maximum service (VOMS) by mode and TOS, 2) the UZA size, 3) whether a Nine or Fewer Vehicles Waiver request has been indicated and 4) whether the seller in a purchased transportation agreement is filing a separate NTD Annual report. All form-by-form instructions and reporting details are provided in the form specific sections of this manual.)

After the B-10 form has been saved the Forms Summary screen provides access to forms that your transit agency is required to complete. The mode and TOS, the update user and update date, and the number of issues for each form are also displayed.

The Forms Summary screen also provides the means to add a new Contractual Relationship form (B-30). Internet reporting automatically generates a B-30 form for each purchased transportation agreement, (i.e., contracts) that existed in the transit agency’s previous year report if at least one mode designated on the prior year’s form is also reported on the B-10 for the current reporting year.

If you want to add a new Contractual Relationship form (B-30) for a new contract, you click the Add Form button at the bottom of the Forms Summary screen and select B-30 from the drop-down menu.

Printing a Form Report from a Form Screen

Click on the Print button at the bottom of the Form screen to display the report in Adobe Acrobat Viewer; then click the Print button Image printer icon in the upper left corner of the viewer and click the Okay button on the resulting Print window.

Submitting Your Report

To submit your report to the NTD, upon completing the required NTD forms, you should return to the Annual tab, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the Submit Report button.

Notes: Providing Additional Information

Screenshot of the Notes tab

Click on the Notes tab to open the Notes Summary screen. Internet reporting allows the transit agency to create a Form Note for information applicable to the overall form.

Creating a Form Note

To create a form note, you should click on the Add Form Note link at the top right of the form you are editing or viewing. Internet reporting will take you to the Form Notes screen for the specific form. Internet reporting pre-fills the mode and TOS (if applicable) for which the note is created. You must complete the note comment.

To save a form note click on the Save button at the bottom of the screen. To return to the form being edited without saving the note, click on the Cancel button.

Reviewing Form Notes

Click on the Form Notes tab to view the Form Notes screen. You can review the form notes associated with a specific form or all form notes for the report. While working in a form click on the Form Notes tab to display the Form Notes screen for the form. The form name, mode and TOS will be displayed just beneath the tabs.

You also can review form notes associated with prior submissions for the current Report Year (i.e., 2009) and prior Report Years (i.e., 2008 and earlier). To view current or prior year’s form notes, click on the Report drop-down menu located above the tab line, and select the year and report stage (original, working data, revision, closeout) that you wish to view.

Editing Notes

While you are in the Working Data report stage, you can edit a form note after it has been created by clicking on the Edit Note link in the far right column on the Form Notes screen. Once the NTD Annual report is submitted the notes are frozen and cannot be edited. Notes can only be edited while in the report status is Working Data which is displayed at the top of screen in the Report menu.

Image of hand pointingNotes are frozen with each submission. If the report is sent back to the transit agency and notes are reviewed or added, the previously submitted notes will not be affected.

Printing Form Notes

You can print all form notes from the Reports tab by clicking the Notes and Issues Report link.

Issues: Validating Data

Screenshot of the Issues tab

You access the Issues screen by clicking the Issues tab. This screen highlights potential problems with specific data items identified through the NTD validation process.

The NTD validation process ensures that NTD reporting requirements are met and that the reported data fall into reasonable ranges and make sense. Validation checks include:

NTD validation is an interactive, iterative process with two alternating phases:

  1. Pre-submission (working data report stage) validation — automatic review prior to submission of the NTD Annual report
  2. Post-submission (the original submission or a revision report stage) validation — review by your assigned NTD analyst after submission of the NTD Annual report.

In support of the NTD validation process an NTD analyst is assigned to each transit agency. NTD analysts are available to assist transit agency personnel and may be contacted at the NTD Project Office. Direct contact information for each analyst is available from the Home tab in the Announcements section (NTD Contact Information) Refer to Exhibit 4 in the Introduction section of this manual for general NTD contact information (mailing addresses, hours of operation, etc.).

Pre-Submission Validation

Internet reporting automatically performs issue checks after a form is saved. The issue checks help you assess the completeness and reasonableness of your data prior to submission to FTA.

Image of hand pointingSince some issues checks are performed using data items from more than one form, it is best to respond to issues after all forms are completed.

Issues are classified by issue type according to severity and action required in order to submit the NTD Annual report:

The Forms Summary screen identifies the number of issues by each type for each form. You can access the Forms Summary screen by clicking on the Issues tab from the Annual report Home page.

You should also review the issues for a specific form. You can access the complete listing of issues for the specific form by clicking on the Issues tab while viewing the form.

You also can review issues associated with prior submissions for the current Report Year (i.e., 2009) and prior Report Years (i.e., 2007 and earlier). To view current or prior year’s issues, click on the Report drop-down menu located above the tab line, and select the year and report stage (original, working data, revision, closeout) that you wish to view.

Prior to the original submission, issues are deleted as you correct the data and resave the forms. Important issues that remain when the NTD Annual report is submitted will continue to be available for review on the Issues tab. Any corrections or explanations subsequent to the original submission will be recorded and are available for review by you and the NTD staff.

Image of hand pointingAs with Form Notes, the issues are frozen with each submission, and can not be altered until the report is returned.

Post-Submission Validation by NTD Analysts

After the transit agency submits the NTD Annual report the report is frozen as the Original Submission report stage. At this point in the process the data cannot be edited by the transit agency. This is also true of each re-submission (revision).

The issues undergo a series of reviews by NTD staff during which the issue status may be changed. At each stage, you should revise forms as necessary, review issues, respond to the issues, save and re-submit the report. The status of an issue is not considered to be final until the Closeout letter has been approved.

Exhibit 7 — Issue Status

Active                                   Issues that require review by the transit agency.

Active with Comments          After a transit agency reviews and adds comments to an Active issue, the issue is assigned an Active with Comments status.

Questionable                         Issues may be included in a Closeout with Issues letter and pertinent data is indicated as Questionable in publications.

Under Review                       NTD analysts recommend that these issues have been sufficiently addressed by the transit agency.

Reviewed                             Recommendation to FTA that no further action is necessary by the transit agency.

Fixed                                     Issues corrected by the transit agency by revising those data item(s) which caused the issue to be generated originally. No further action is required by the transit agency for these issues.

As your report is moved through the validation process, the NTD analyst reviews the reported data and recommends that FTA either accept your transit agency’s issue comments or designates the issue as Active for further review by your agency. Upon completion of this review the NTD analyst makes the report available to your agency as Working Data. When this is done, you can edit the report or provide more information. Review by both the transit agency (in working data stage) and the NTD analyst (in revision stages) continues until all issues have been designated as Fixed, Questionable or Reviewed. The report will then move to the Closeout report stage.

Closeout: Completion of Issue Validation

The validation process ends with the generation of the Closeout letter for a transit agency:

You can access the letter from the e-File tab.

Reports: Accessing Reports to Help Report Annual Data

Screenshot of the Reports tab

Click on the Reports tab to display the Reports screen. This screen provides access to several reports available to assist you in preparing your NTD Annual report.

Please refer to the section on Printing for instructions on viewing, printing and exporting a report.

To open a report you should click the corresponding link on the Reports screen and the report will open Adobe Acrobat Viewer. You can print the report by clicking the Print button Image printer icon in the upper left corner of the viewer and click the Okay button on the resulting Print window.

You can also review selected reports associated with prior submissions for the current Report Year (i.e., 2009) and prior Report Years i.e., 2008 and earlier). To view current or prior year’s reports, click on the Report drop-down menu located above the tab line, and select the year and report stage (original, working data, revision, closeout) that you wish to view.

The following report links are available on the Reports screen:

All Form Notes and Issues Report

Click on the All Form Notes and Issues Report link to print all of the form notes and issues associated with the NTD Annual report as viewed on the Form Notes screen or Issues tab.

Additional Reports Available from the Reports Tab

For all of the following reports, the default will be a five-year history. However, the user can change the report to show additional years’ history using the Report drop-down located above the tab line.

Service Characteristics

Click on the Service Characteristics link to view the report. This report provides the number of VOMS, the vehicle revenue hours (VRH) and miles VRM), the deadhead hours and miles, the total actual hours and miles, the number of unlinked passenger trips (UPT), the number of passenger miles traveled (PMT) and the total operating expense (OE) for each mode and TOS operated for the current reporting year and four years prior with the percentage of variation from year to year.

Key Performance Indicators

Click on the Performance Characteristics link to view the report. This report provides the trip length, load factor, revenue speed, deadhead speed, cost per hour, cost per mile and cost per passenger for each mode and TOS operated for the current reporting year and four years prior with the percentage of variation from year to year.

Revenue Vehicle Inventory – Prior Year’s History

Click on the Revenue Vehicle Inventory – Prior Year’s History link to view the report. This report provides the total fleet, active fleet, ADA fleet, and average fleet age for each mode and TOS operated for the current reporting year and four years prior with the percentage of variation from year to year.

Operating Expenses by Function and Hourly Wages – Prior Year’s History

Click on the Operating Expenses by Function and Hourly Wages – Prior Year’s History link to view the report. This report provides the vehicle operations expense, vehicle maintenance expense, non-vehicle maintenance expense, general administration expense, vehicle operations hourly wage rate, vehicle maintenance hourly wage rate, non-vehicle maintenance hourly wage rate and general administration hourly wage rate for each mode and TOS operated for the current reporting year and four years prior with the percentage of variation from year to year.

Key Performance Indicators – Average Trip Length – Prior Year’s History

Click on the Key Performance Indicators – Average Trip Length – Prior Year’s History link to view the report. This report provides the average trip length by average weekday service, average Saturday service, average Sunday service and annual total data for the current report year and prior years with the percentage of variation from year to year.

e-File: Sending Declarations, Requests, and Other Communication

Screenshot of the e-File tab

The e-File tab is located between the Home tab and the Annual tab. The e-File tab is a centralized area in which to compose, organize and track agency correspondence with the NTD program.

All correspondence, waivers and other requests, as well as the Independent Auditor Statements are attached and submitted using the e-File tab. The e-File tab provides the following organization and tracking features:

E-mail responses are sent to the transit agency following requests through the e-File system. Examples of letters sent from FTA to transit agencies are:

The following sections describe:

e-File Tracking

The e-File Summary screen provides a snapshot of the status of the NTD Annual report:

Report Stage

This section lists the dates that the original report submission and each subsequent revision were sent to NTD and returned to the transit agency. Most of the information listed pertains to the current report year. However, some correspondence or requests may pertain to future years. These items will be displayed indicating the future report year. In most cases, correspondence spans two report years. You may now select up to two report years for the same request.

To view prior years’ e-File information, you should use the Report drop-down menu, located above the tab line, to select the year you wish to view. Note that e-File information is not available prior to RY 2002.

To add correspondence for prior years’ e-File information, you should click the Add Correspondence button on the current year’s e-File Summary screen. You then select the year for which you wish to add correspondence from the Add Correspondence screen.

Waivers

This section contains the correspondence for any waiver requests as well as their current status. Waivers include:

Declarations

This contains the declarations submitted to NTD via the e-File and their current status (Not Submitted, Received, Cancelled, Approved, Approved with Issues, and Denied). The declarations are:

Image of hand pointingThough not required, FTA strongly encourages each transit agency to attach a copy of their IAS–FFA to the e-File.

See both the Introduction and Declarations sections of this manual for guidance and clarification of which Independent Auditor Statements are required and when.

Text Box: Other Agency Request Type menu selection: Consolidation Request Extension Request FY Change Request New Fixed Guideway Segment Request New ID Request Other Agency Correspondence Other Agency Requests

All other correspondence between the transit agency and NTD is contained in Other Agency Requests. Examples of this type of correspondence are:

Outgoing NTD Correspondence

Failure to Report, Late Report, Incomplete Report and Failure to Respond letters are sent to transit agencies that do not comply with NTD reporting requirements. Electronic copies of the letters are submitted to transit agencies via the e-File tab.

e-File Composing: Waivers, Other Agency Requests and Declarations

Waivers and Other Agency Requests are all considered correspondence. The following discusses each type of request and describes the steps taken to create, edit and submit Text Box: Add Declaration Type menu selection: Independent Auditor Statement for Financial Data (IAS – FD) Independent Auditor Statement for Federal Funding Allocation (IAS-FFA) them. Some declarations are also submitted in the e-File.

Adding a Request or Declaration

On the e-File Summary screen buttons are available for each type of correspondence request and declaration (i.e. waivers, declarations and other agency requests). You should click the appropriate button to initiate a specific request and display the Add Correspondence / File screen.

Once a request or declaration is initiated, you will be directed to the Add Correspondence / File screen. On this screen there are several specific pieces of information that are required, including:

Writing or Attaching a Document

You have the choice to either insert text or attach a document to send correspondence to the NTD. You should select Insert Text to generate a field where you can type your agency’s request. There is also the option to attach a more formal request by using the Letter Attachment option and submitting the request to NTD following the guidelines below.

Editing a Request

Appropriate transit agency personnel (based on user rights) can edit the request at any time after the request is saved and prior to submission. To edit the request you should click on the link to the file you wish to edit (Data Waiver). The file will open and you can edit the content as necessary. However, Internet reporting will not let you edit several of the fields used to identify the specific request.

Screen capture of Sample Directory on Your ComputerAttaching Correspondence

Other types of correspondence may also be attached under the Other Agency Requests heading on the e-File tab. To attach the written request select the Letter Attachment radio button, then select the Browse button. A Windows Dialog box will appear. The appearance of the window may be different based on the operating system (Windows NT, 2000, 95/98, Apple Mac, etc.) being used. Navigate to the directory in which your file is stored and click Open. The file name will appear in the text area to the left of the Browse button.

Saving Correspondence

The final step in creating correspondence (waiver, declaration or other agency request) is to Save and or Submit the request or declaration by using one of the three buttons at the bottom of the screen.

Depending on your assigned level of access, you can perform certain tasks within the system. While certain users can create, save, and submit requests others may only be able to create and save or simply view the request. This type of role-based security allows Internet reporting to verify that the appropriate people are making the necessary requests. Based on a user’s role, they will see a Cancel, Save and or Submit button. For example:

  1. The Cancel button is available to all users. Cancel simply exits the form and no changes are saved.
  2. The Save button is available to those users with CEO, NTD and EDT passwords. Once data are entered the request may be saved. Once saved, the request is stored and can be reviewed and edited as often as necessary prior to submitting the report to NTD.
  3. The Submit button is limited to the CEO.

Once the request is saved or submitted, you are returned to the e-File Summary screen. The e-File Summary screen will display the request under the appropriate heading, followed by the identifying subject line, the year for which the request is relevant, the date the request was created, and the status of the request.

NTD Process after e-File Submission

Acknowledgment of Submission

For most submissions, no acknowledgement is provided regarding receipt at the NTD project site. If you concerned about a submission, please contact your NTD validation analyst.

However, acknowledgements are provided upon receipt of waiver requests, etc., at the NTD project site. An e-mail is sent back to the CEO and contact person acknowledging receipt of the correspondence. This acknowledgement is also posted on the e-File tab. If there are problems with the original request you should contact your validation analyst immediately upon receipt of the e-mail.

Request Status

Once a request is submitted, NTD begins processing the request or declaration. When the process is complete, it is given a final status that the transit agency is able to view.

The status column is intended to inform the transit agency about the progress of each request. Distinct statuses apply to the different request types. The following is a list of the potential statuses and their meanings:

Viewing a Submitted Request

Official notification from NTD is necessary for a request to be considered approved or denied. When such an action is taken by NTD, the status column will no longer appear as Received but will instead reflect the appropriate status. A status other than received indicates that NTD processed the request. Once the status changes, you can review NTD's official response.

To view, click on the hyperlink for the submitted requests you want to view. There will be a link for the Letter Attachment (as there was when editing). However, since it was already submitted, you cannot edit the request and the Save and Submit buttons are no longer be available.

When you access the e-File Summary screen, there may be two links for attached files. This occurs if you submitted an attached document to NTD. The submitted document will be the first link you see. The second link is the official response from NTD. To view the response, you should click on the link and select Open Document when prompted by the operating systems dialog box.

e-File at the End of the Year

At the end of the report year the e-File Summary screen provides a picture of an entire report year. The number of requests will vary by transit agency; however, all correspondence between the transit agency and NTD is captured. Most important, when the transit agency is closed out, under Report Stage the status Closeout appears, and a closeout letter is listed.

Communications Summary: Viewing a History of Correspondence with NTD

Screenshot of the Communications tab

The Communications tab gives transit agencies a centralized area in which to view their past correspondence with the FTA NTD program. In addition, the correspondence view can be filtered to show only certain processes or communication types.

Tips for Using Internet Reporting

Navigating Between Screens

You should not use the browser Back and Forward buttons to navigate between screens. Instead, you should use the Internet reporting system buttons, tabs and links.

Saving a Form

A Save button is provided at the bottom of each Internet reporting form. When entering information into a form it is strongly recommended that you save the form frequently. This will prevent the loss of data if your Internet connection is unexpectedly lost.

Also, Internet reporting has an automatic time-out feature which will log you off of the system after a period of inactivity. It is strongly recommended that you save your work every 15 minutes. Otherwise, there is a risk that the next action you take on the system will result in the closure of the screen displayed in your browser and the loss of any data that you had not saved.

Viewing, Printing and Exporting Reports

Reports can be generated within the Internet reporting system from either the Reports tab or from the individual form screens.

Viewing a Report Online

Click on the Report link on the Reports tab to display the report within the IE window. Use the scroll bar or the following navigation buttons to scroll through the report:

To Print a Report from the Reports Tab

Click on the Print Report button Image printer icon (printer icon) in the upper left corner of the viewer. A window will open; the document is converted to a PDF file; you then click the Print button on the resulting Print screen.

To Print a Form Report from a Form Screen

Click on the Print button at the bottom of the Form screen to display the report in the window. Click the Print button Image printer icon in the upper left corner of the viewer. Then click the Okay button on the resulting Print window.

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