Planning and Scheduling Overview

Lesson objective

Using the electronic links provided, identify the role of each basic planning step.

Planning Overview

The many steps for planning routes and schedules begin with five basic steps. These steps assume the majority of service is driven by demand.

The Basic Five

Set headway policies: Time between vehicles.

Example: 3 minutes between trains.

Define passenger load standards: By what number should passengers exceed seats?

Example: Volume of passengers should not exceed 120% of seats. For a 65-seat bus, 85 passengers would constitute overcrowding if the goal is not to exceed 120% of seats.

Calculate the number of rail cars or buses based on headways, routes, and travel speeds.

Example: To maintain 15 minute headways and accommodate passenger loads of 120% of seats, the Southeastern routes must have 130 vehicles.

Determine peak demand: Determined by taking actual counts of ridership at maximum load points on any line or route, considering the direction of peak travel.

Example: On Route #36, 600 passengers per hour are expected at peak demand times.

Calculate in-service vehicle requirements according to policy headways and projected passenger demand.

Example: For all routes, there must be 1,000 buses to meet 15-minute headways and accommodate passenger loads.