In the recent past, GIS was primarily used as an offline planning tool. Now, as computers become faster and GIS "objects" (such as MapObjects) are available for customization, GIS is becoming an integral part of operations software. A University of Virginia team has utilized a classic waterfall software development methodology to create a Web-based interactive transit trip planning application. The team found that developing detailed requirements and a thorough system design before coding was essential in the effort. This allowed the team to effectively develop the application using Visual Basic and Esri's MapObjects IMS. Specific problems resolved early in the waterfall approach include database collisions, Web browser requirements, and system performance.