Controlling System Costs: Basic and Advanced Scheduling Manuals and Contemporary Issues in Transit Scheduling (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 11-31
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From page 11... ...
Chapter 2. Inputs to the Scheduling Process ͮ.ͭ Introduction to the Scheduling Process ͮ.ͮ External Factors ͮ.ͯ Inputs to the Scheduling Process ͮ.Ͱ Organization of Scheduling Process
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From page 12... ...
Those encompass: Knowledge of the scheduling provisions of the collective bargaining agreement Route design considerations Service standards Annual Service Plan Service data, including running time, patronage, and operations The last item is critical to the task at hand and presupposes the other items on the list are readily available and well understood. Some of these items may not be familiar to those new to scheduling, but keep in mind that this is an introductory chapter providing a broad overview of the scheduling process.
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From page 13... ...
The kinds of things that you should look for when you are out in the fi eld include: how adequate is the running time; what do the passenger loads look like at various points along the route; where are places that cause potential delays; is there a better place to turn around at the end of the route; are the number of wheelchair boardings greater than what would be considered average for other routes on the system. Getting out of the offi ce once in a while also is a good change of pace from the routine.
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The scheduler's goal is to fi nd the happy medium between too much and too little scheduled running time to ensure reliability and effi ciency in daily operations. This will be discussed in much greater detail in subsequent portions of the manual.
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Short Turns These are points were the service ends short of the end of the route. These points may be selected by schedulers or planners and should ideally be chosen at a point that is some multiple of the running time and headway, unless interlining is allowed to off set.
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From page 16... ...
versus Local Operation Routes in larger cities may have enough ridership to be able to operate two classes of service for all or part of the day. These diff erent types of service operating on the same corridor have diff erent stopping patterns, running times, and perhaps even time points.
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From page 17... ...
cycle time Equals the round trip running time plus layover time. This is also known as "round-trip cycle time" or "round-trip time." deadhead The time and distance that a bus needs to travel in places where it will not pick up passengers.
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Scheduling software with mapping capabilities has other uses that can save schedulers time. Many can automatically generate the most effi cient routings between starting and ending points on a route and the garage, inclusive of updating the database containing running times and mileage.
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These standards can simplify some aspects of the scheduler's job by providing quantitative guidance in key areas. Service standards are typically set at a strategic planning or service planning level, but form a major input into the scheduling process.
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Target loads are specifi ed for diff erent types of routes during diff erent times of day. For example, loading standards might call for average loads of ͱͬ during peak periods and Ͱͬ during the base period.
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transfer window The layover time scheduled at timed transfer locations to ensure that transfer connections can be made, and may also refer to the amount of time past its scheduled departure time that a vehicle can be held at a transfer location to wait for a late arriving vehicle. service area Broadly, the area in which a transit agency provides service.
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vehicle hours Total hours of travel by a vehicle, including hours in revenue service (including layover time) and deadhead travel.
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How complex or constrained are the work rules? In short, the factors that defi ne scheduling department size are far too numerous to allow a simple standard.
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is to provide greater accuracy in compiling running time information. End-to-end running times are generally rounded to the whole minute, but the half minute can make a diff erence when allocating times between time points.
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Chapter 2. Inputs to the Scheduling Process 2-16 Bear in mind that one day of data may not be suffi cient on which to base a schedule adjustment.
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From page 26... ...
Chapter 2. Inputs to the Scheduling Process 2-17
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From page 27... ...
Operating irregularities are diff erent. Two partial days of ride checks blended together may either accentuate problems or under emphasize them, but the blend does not always give you a representative look at the route.
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From page 28... ...
Chapter 2. Inputs to the Scheduling Process 2-19 TR IP S U R V E Y S H E E T R oute /D irection : 70 S B C hecker N am e: A ssignm ent D ay o f W eek: S urvey D ate : T rip # : R un # P E R S O N S P E R S O N S TO TA L O N LE A V E G E TTIN G G E TTIN G B U S W H E N TIM E S TO P S TO P N A M E O FF O N IT LE A V E S P O IN T 1 M ontebello /JC P enney#2 0 : 2 M ark land/P otre ro G rande 3 M ontebello P lz /P ark ingLot : 4 W ilcox/V ia P aseo 5 W ilcox/H ay 6 W ilcox/L inco ln 7 W ilcox/V ic to ria 8 W ilcox/B everly : 9 W ilcox/M ad ison 10 W ilcox/W hittie r 11 W hittie r/C oncourse 12 G arfie ld /W hittier : 13 G arfie ld /O lym pic 14 G arfie ld /Ferguson 15 F lo tilla /G arfie ld 16 M etro link S tation : 17 M ines/V a il 18 M ines/M ap le 19 M ines/G reenw ood 0 :
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From page 29... ...
Chapter 2. Inputs to the Scheduling Process 2-20 TR IP S U R V E Y S H E E T R oute /D irection : 70 S B C hecker N am e: S m ith A ssignm ent 702 D ay o f W eek: W E D S urvey D ate : 20-O ct T rip # : 20 R un # 70-51 P E R S O N S P E R S O N S TO TA L O N LE A V E G E TTIN G G E TTIN G B U S W H E N TIM E S TO P S TO P N A M E O FF O N IT LE A V E S P O IN T 1 M ontebello /JC P enney#2 0 1 1 3:35 P M 2 M ark land/P otre ro G rande 1 3 M ontebello P lz /P ark ingLot 6 7 3:42 P M 4 W ilcox/V ia P aseo 1 6 5 W ilcox/H ay 6 12 6 W ilcox/L inco ln 12 7 W ilcox/V ic to ria 12 8 W ilcox/B everly 2 10 3:46 P M 9 W ilcox/M ad ison 10 10 W ilcox/W hittie r 2 1 9 11 W hittie r/C oncourse 5 4 12 G arfie ld /W hittier 1 3 3:50 P M 13 G arfie ld /O lym pic 1 2 14 G arfie ld /Ferguson 2 15 F lo tilla /G arfie ld 2 16 M etro link S tation 2 3:55 P M 17 M ines/V a il 2 18 M ines/M ap le 2 19 M ines/G reenw ood 2 0 4:01 P M
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From page 30... ...
Two common elements contributing to successful implementation of APCs are a sound validation program to fl ag data of questionable quality and good reporting capabilities. The latter can include standard reports to provide schedulers with the information they need most often (boardings, alightings, loads and time by stop, and running time by segment)
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From page 31... ...
To complete our picture of data accumulation methods, we list these here: Trail checks entail following buses in a car over specifi c segments of a route. They can be useful for looking at general operations along a segment of route that is being studied for rerouting or discontinuation, but are not the preferred method for obtaining boarding, alighting, or running time data.
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