Appendixes to TCRP Report 135: Controlling System Costs: Basic and Advanced Scheduling Manuals and Contemporary Issues in Transit Scheduling (2009)

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Transit Cooperative Research Program Project A-29 Controlling System Costs: Basic and Advanced Scheduling Manuals and Contemporary Issues in Transit Scheduling Appendix D Additional Research Needs The purpose of this appendix is to identify gaps in knowledge and relevant issues that have emerged since the publication of TCRP 30. A close reading of survey responses, comments and questions from respondents, the team’s experience in various scheduling environments throughout the United States and the world, and vendor insights all contribute to the findings noted here. The project team views this task as a means to define scheduling issues that must be addressed in the new scheduling manual. Critical issues needing further attention include: 1. Computerization. Since TCRP 30, the use of computerized scheduling software packages has reached a “critical mass” level. This is the single biggest difference between then and now. The new manual must address issues related to computerized scheduling. A discussion of how to manage the transition from a manual to a computerized system would also be helpful, along with an analysis of the effects of computerization. The intent is not to replicate software training provided by vendors, but to provide a context of what is possible using computerized scheduling packages. Examples might include trip shifting, different specifications of parameters in runcutting and blocking, interpretation of software outputs, and typical “what-if” applications. 2. Basic scheduling skills. One important market for any scheduling manual is the beginning scheduler. The survey results reveal that most training is on-the-job and informal, frequently involving a mentor from whom the rookie scheduler learns. In fact, several agencies that have developed tests or training manuals in-house limit their use, for human resources or other reasons, to screening potential applicants for entry-level scheduling positions. A concise presentation of the “nuts and bolts” of scheduling is essential. Even at computerized agencies, it is not unusual for the scheduler to adjust the results of the computer generated schedules, and so there is a continuing need for scheduling knowledge and skills. 3. Advanced “tricks of the trade.” The TCRP 30 project team evaluated the manual prior to publication. Most schedulers reported that, while it was useful for entry-level personnel, it really did not teach them anything new. Yet the survey results indicate a great deal of curiosity regarding how other agencies address issues such as running time, meal breaks, transfer windows, and restrictions related to union rules or past practices. One impact of the trend toward computerization is that schedulers are freed from many time-consuming manual tasks and can devote more time to advanced scheduling issues. For agencies operating out of multiple depots, computerization lends itself to “what-if” analyses regarding the effect of split depot operations on peak vehicle requirements. Computerization also allows for the production of time-space diagrams that can help schedulers visualize bus bunching, headways, and layovers. There may also be a role for statistical process control in calculating running times. Dan Boyle & Associates, Inc. Page D-1

TCRP Project A-29 Appendix D: Additional Research Needs Dan Boyle & Associates, Inc. Page D-2 4. Terminology. Despite our best efforts, some respondents were confused by certain terms. In addition, agencies often use different terminology for scheduling-related functions. A good glossary is a must in the new manual. A glossary was prepared for TCRP 30, but was not included in the final publication. 5. Downstream requirements and how to handle. Because of its impacts on system cost and efficiency, scheduling was never truly an isolated function. However, as new technologies allow or require greater data integration, there are increasing downstream requirements for scheduling output and greater demands for interaction with other departments. These requirements can change the nature of the scheduler’s job. Examples of the effects of integration and strategies for addressing downstream requirements would be particularly beneficial. 6. Breaks (lunch and other). As noted earlier, several respondents expressed interest in how other agencies schedule breaks for their drivers. Drop-backs are universally used in rail scheduling, but are not in widespread usage at bus agencies. Some bus schedulers wanted to know more about how drop-backs worked. 7. Training methods. A concise, organized, and well-written scheduling manual is viewed as a welcome addition at most agencies. In this multimedia age, however, alternate means of expressing scheduling concepts must be considered. TriMet used TCRP 30 as the foundation for an interactive training program developed by computer programming interns. Without getting into the question of the best way for people to learn scheduling, we should be aware of the potential of different learning paradigms. A few respondents noted that people interested in puzzles (crosswords, sudoku, or others) often prove to be the best candidates for entry-level scheduling positions. An interactive manual oriented toward puzzle-solving is an intriguing concept as a teaching tool. 8. Cross-agency communication among schedulers. The high level of interest in other agencies’ approaches to common scheduling issues suggests that the manual should wherever possible make use of examples drawn from actual practice. These examples would move the scheduler beyond a “we’ve always done it this way” approach, and would also help to illuminate cases in which there is not a single best answer. The scheduling manual has incorporated these needs, many of them as discussion topics in advanced sections of the manual. Computerization is addressed throughout the manual, and the manual has been structured to take a beginner through all the steps he/she needs to become a proficient scheduler. The margins of the manual include a running glossary and “tricks of the trade” in the form of tips. Nevertheless, there are still research needs to be met as scheduling evolves. Fruitful areas of additional inquiry include establishing running times, use of headway-based schedules, overtime optimization, rotary rostering (rare in the United States), and extraboard management. The scheduling manual reflects the state of the art in 2009 and offers a beginning point in addressing these areas. As technology evolves and additional and more reliable data become available, subsequent research activities will offer clear benefits to schedulers and to the transit industry as a whole.