Practical explanations of transit planning, scheduling, and operations.
7 articles
Transit Planning3 min read
Weekends and holidays bring different travel needs, operating hours, and connections. A separate service day deserves its own review of whether passengers can complete the journeys they need.
Read ArticleTransit Planning3 min read
An almost empty bus is one moment in a longer trip. Understanding boardings, alightings, passenger loads, and turnover helps explain how a route can provide useful rides without looking busy at every stop.
Read ArticlePlanner's Notebook2 min read
Modern transit planners have access to more data than ever before, but a spreadsheet cannot understand every reason behind a number. Good planning combines ridership, running time, and performance data with field knowledge, passenger needs, operator experience, and professional judgment.
Read ArticleTransit Planning2 min read
School dismissal can create a large passenger load during a very short period. Instead of changing an entire route, transit agencies may use a school tripper - an additional scheduled trip designed to provide capacity exactly where and when it is needed.
Read ArticleScheduling Explained2 min read
The same route may need more running time at 4:00 PM than at 6:00 AM. Transit schedules change throughout the day because traffic, passenger activity, school schedules, employment patterns, and other conditions rarely remain constant.
Read ArticleTransit Operations6 min read
On-time performance is one of transit’s most important service measures, but “on time” does not always mean arriving at the exact scheduled minute. Understanding early departures, late arrivals, timepoints, and schedule adherence helps explain what the numbers really measure.
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