Waco Transit Achieves APC Data Reliability and Certification Readiness with ETA Transit’s Tally Platform

Overview

Waco Transit partnered with ETA Transit to improve the accuracy and reliability of its Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) data in preparation for National Transit Database (NTD) APC certification. By combining hands-on technical support along with ETA’s Tally platform, the agency transformed its data quality and established a clear path toward certification.

The Challenge

NTD APC certification requires agencies to statistically validate that automated passenger counts align with manual ride-check surveys. This process involves structured sampling, data reconciliation, and extensive documentation. Waco Transit utilizes a third-party vendor for its CAD/AVL and APC hardware and supporting software systems. As the agency began preparing for certification, it identified significant inconsistencies in its APC data, with nearly 20 percent of trips in October 2024 lacking valid data due to hardware performance issues, data validation failures, and system inconsistencies. Without reliable data, achieving certification and confidently reporting to the NTD was at risk. To address these challenges, Waco Transit engaged ETA Transit to provide independent expertise and support in diagnosing and improving APC performance.

The Approach

Beginning in July 2025, ETA Transit worked alongside Waco Transit to establish a structured path forward, despite not being the agency’s APC or CAD/AVL vendor. ETA provided hands-on support to:

• Diagnose APC hardware and performance issues across the fleet
• Coordinate targeted sensor repairs and recalibration efforts with the existing APC manufacturer
• Implement validation workflows to compare APC data against manual ride-check surveys

At the same time, Waco Transit implemented ETA’s Tally platform to centralize and streamline the certification process, independent of its existing onboard technology provider.

The Solution: Tally

Tally enabled Waco Transit to move from a manual, fragmented process to a centralized, data-driven workflow. With Tally, the agency can:

• Manage statistical validation sampling
• Digitally capture manual ride-check surveys
• Reconcile APC data against field observations
• Track benchmarking progress
• Maintain documentation required for NTD submission

This vendor-agnostic approach allowed Waco Transit to improve data quality without needing to replace its core systems.

The Results

Through its collaboration with ETA Transit, Waco Transit achieved a significant improvement in APC data reliability.

• Invalid APC data reduced from 19.7% in October 2024 to just over 1% in October 2025
• Established consistent validation workflows aligned with NTD requirements
• Improved confidence in APC data for reporting and operational decision-making
• Positioned for successful NTD APC certification

Conclusion

Waco Transit’s journey demonstrates that achieving APC certification is not just about meeting accuracy thresholds, but about building a reliable, repeatable process supported by the right expertise and tools. By partnering with ETA Transit, Waco Transit was able to overcome data reliability challenges within its existing technology environment. With Tally as the foundation, the agency transformed a complex, manual process into a structured and manageable workflow, setting the stage for long-term success in data quality and compliance.