Surveys were sent to all CUTA member transit systems whose vehicles together comprise more than 98% of the national urban transit fleet.
Transit systems were asked to list their budgeted capital infrastructure needs for the next five years (2006-2010) by dollar value. It was categorized by:
• expenditures for replacement or rehabilitation versus expenditures for expansion in response to population growth or promotion of new ridership;
• expenditures currently planned (under existing funding arrangements) in comparison to additional needs that could only be met through new external investment; and
• relative priority levels.
Infrastructure needs were further categorized by type:
1. buses (purchases or refurbishment);
2. other rolling stock - including heavy or light rail vehicles;
3. fixed guideways or rights-of-way (construction or enhancement);
4. maintenance facilities;
5. stations or terminals;
6. parking facilities - for commuters at stations, terminals or interchanges;
7. transit priority measures - infrastructure designed to give transit vehicles priority over other traffic flow;
8. customer amenities - including bus stop enhancements, shelters, signage, etc;
9. advanced technology - such as automatic vehicle location, advanced fare collection and customer information systems; and
10. other, which varied by responses.