Use of Archived Bus Location,Dispatch,and Ridership Data for Transit Analysis

Abstract

Some of the novel ways archived computer-aided dispatch (CAD), automatic vehicle location (AVL), and automatic passenger counter (APC) information have been used by the Champaign–Urbana Mass Transit District in Illinois in the past year are described. Geographic information system (GIS) tools were used to visualize and understand schedule deviation and passenger flow information for a bus route experiencing regular delays, and various ridership and operational performance analyses were performed. GIS made it easy to identify the problem blocks (bus assignments) and trips while allowing data visualization regarding spatial location and passenger flow. Another innovative application has used the archived screen messages in the CAD-AVL system to analyze the response times of dispatchers in the control room when an operator has initiated a request to talk to a supervisor. A Visual Basic script was developed to parse the extensive data, calculate response times for all requests, determine whether any requests were not answered at all, and identify vehicles in which attempts to establish contact were unsuccessful. This application helped verify operator complaints regarding delayed or absent responses, monitor dispatcher efficiency, and identify problems with the radio equipment.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Furth

P. G.

Hemily

B. J.

Muller

T. H. J.

and Strathman

J. G.

TCRP Web Document 23: Uses of Archived AVL-APC Data to Improve Transit Performance and Management—Review and Potential. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2003. onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_webdoc_23.pdf. Accessed July 27, 2006.

Kimpel

T. J.

Strathman

J. G.

and Callas

Improving Scheduling Through Performance Monitoring Using AVL/APC Data. Great Cities University Consortium, April 2004. www.gcu.pdx.edu/docs/reports/psu_local_transit_innov.pdf. Accessed July 30, 2006.

Strathman

J. G.

Kimpel

T. J.

and Callas

Headway Deviation Effects on Bus Passenger Loads: Analysis of Tri-Met's Archived AVL–APC Data. Prepared for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Transportation Northwest Regional Center, Seattle, Wash., January 2003. www.transnow.org/publication/Reports/TNW2003-01.pdf. Accessed July 30, 2006.

Hammerle

Haynes

and McNeil

Use of Automatic Vehicle Location and Passenger Count Data to Evaluate Bus Operations: Experience of the Chicago Transit Authority, Illinois. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1903, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2005, pp. 27–34.

Camus

Longo

and Macorini

Estimation of Transit Reliability Level-of-Service Based on Automatic Vehicle Location Data. In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1927, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2005, pp. 277–286.