Tools, Technologies, and Analytics to Actively Manage the Problems of Bus Bunching

Beat the Bunch

Wednesday May 29, 20192:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Virginia Transit AssociationNorfolk, VA

Why do we bunch???

Travel Between Stops…

Congestion

Accidents

Surface Delays

Passenger Boarding and

Alighting…

Crowded buses take longer to load and unload

Correcting Without

Assistance…

Nearly Impossible

Bus Routes are INHERENTLY UNSTABLE

Costs of Bus Bunching

Longer wait times for passengers

Some buses too full – some too empty

Unpredictable wait times

Wasted money

Less reliable service

Passengers shift away from transit

Thoughts on Solutions

• Get back on schedule by waiting

• Hard work for drivers to manage

• Ineffective for major disruptions

• Breakdowns, inclement weather, or traffic stoppages

• Doesn’t help late buses recover

Slack time at control points

• If bus is late, don’t stop and pick up passengers

• Can leave passengers stranded

Skip Stops

Active Route Management

Bus Bunching Simulation

http://setosa.io/bus/

The Power of Active Route Management

ARM Can…

• Provide automated action cues to drivers in real-time

• Automatically know when buses begin to bunch

• Speed up or slow down time at a particular stop

• Slightly slow down travel between stops

ARM Cannot…

• Do anything about traffic, accidents, or parades

• Stop routes from slowing down

• Control how many people ride the bus at any stop on any day

• Instruct a bus to drive faster between stops

Active Route Management has a prejudice towards faster service not slower. Focuses on correction without significantly extending

wait times.

OBJECTIVE #1: Equal vehicle headway spacing OBJECTIVE #2: Return to target headway

Drop & Go

Triggers

Target Dwell Time

Maximum Dwell Time

Is Dwelling Allowed

Routes are actively managed most effectively at or in relation to stops. Movement between stops on routes has little impact.

The Logic of ARM

ARM and IoT• Directed action at thresholds

Passenger Load Logic

• Passio GO alert and instruct

• Enabling skip stop logicReal Time GPS/AVL Integration

• Triggered by # vehicles assigned to route

• Auto adjust headways and spacing in ARMReal-Time Headway Alignment

• GPS/AVL Location enabled in real-time

• Passenger density inside stop geo-fence triggers capacity logic

FUTURE: CROWD ROUTING

ARM Driver Triggers and Cues

ARM Dispatch View

Reporting & Analytics

• Real-Time Analytics• Headway reporting and a proprietary variance gap analysis • Performance visibility at trip level by day, week, and route

• Baseline Reporting• Establish starting point to measure success• Test alternative routes and new ideas using ‘real world’

metrics

• Driver Key Performance Indicators(KPI)• Measure driver responsiveness to ARM

instructions• Coaching tools for supervisors and managers

• Scheduling Analysis• Validate or correct schedule assumptions• Realign vehicles to routes where they are most

needed