METHODS FOR MAINTAINING TRANSIT SERVICE REGULARITY

Abstract

Maintaining regular transit service has been a chronic operational problem that affects both travelers and operators. Although many researcher have studied aspects of this problem, major limitations of previous work have resulted in the recommendation of procedures that are neither representative of nor operational in the transit management environment. The development of a method for maintaining service regularity through improved scheduling and real-time control based on models developed and validated from empirical data is described. The method is simple to employ and does not require extensive data from the transit agency considering its implementation. Also included is a case study describing the application of the method to three routes in Los Angeles. The results indicate that the procedure can produce resonable solutions and demonstrate its potential value to the transit community.