6.0 Transit Data Gathering Approaches
6.1 Standard Transit Data Gathering Approaches
In the past, the standard transit data gathering approach was the driver reporting to a dispatcher via a radio system. The driver was the eyes and ears of the transit agency and could report his current location, current capacity, and any additional required information. This method allowed the transit dispatch center to have current information but did not provide for the retention of historical data for analysis and modeling.
Today, many transit agencies have equipped their vehicles with AVL technology. Most transit agencies are using AVL based on global-positioning satellites. Some rail transit systems still depend on sensors that report when vehicles pass certain locations within the rail network.
The global-positioning data can provide the timestamp, location, speed, and direction of travel of the vehicles each time the data is reported. Reporting frequency varies from agency to agency and ranges from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. In most systems, the data is not only available for current operations but is also archived for planning. This data allows the transit agency to maintain schedules. Based on the positions reported, vehicle travel times can be calculated. The computerization allows the agency to address vehicle failures, monitor schedule and route adherence, and can also be used to trigger specific automatic audio and visual announcements on the vehicle.
About 10% of the vehicles in a transit fleet are typically equipped with Automatic Passenger Counters which count the number of passengers getting on and off the bus/train at each stop. Some fleets are moving to 100% coverage of their fleet, but this is more the exception than the norm at this time. APC data is typically downloaded to a server at the end of each day, and is not usually available while the vehicle is in operation.
Transit operators are also interested in parking lot utilization at or near transit routes. Current techniques for monitoring parking availability vary widely.
Many agencies own and operate their own park-and-ride facilities. Some park-and-ride lots are provided and maintained by the Department of Transportation (DOT) at major interchanges. Many of these lots are an asphalt or gravel parking area and parking is free. These lots may be monitored for safety by local law enforcement but the available capacity is typically unmonitored. In some municipalities, commuters are able to park at shopping centers. These lots are generally private property and there is no distinction between commuter and shopper usage.
In major metropolitan areas, parking garages and controlled-access lots are available for transit riders. These parking facilities are located near the transit stops. The operations of these lots may be contracted to a parking management company. Many of these facilities are monitored electronically and data is available to the parking management company about the parking space availability. The parking management company may provide the data to the transit agency.
Incidents involving transit vehicles are usually reported to dispatch using mobile radio. Other incidents in the corridor that might affect transit schedules or routes are usually discovered and reported when the vehicles encounter the problem area. Major construction detours and event planning are usually coordinated in advance. However, transit operators are not always aware of minor road maintenance which may impact the transit vehicle’s ability to remain on schedule.
6.2 Emerging Approaches for Transit Data Gathering
An emerging approach for transit data gathering is the use of Mobile Data Terminals (MDT). Depending on the transit agency, the functions of the MDT include some or all of the following:
- Download driver manifest
- Collect data on driver actions
- Record passenger counts both boarding and alighting
- Provide security alarm and retention of buffered video
- Collect route and schedule adherence data
- Collect vehicle location data
- Provide automatic visual and audio announcements
- Collect fare data
- Provide messaging between dispatch and vehicle
In the case of paratransit vehicles, data on assistive devices, attendants, and companions may also be gathered. While some agencies may have the communication infrastructure to transmit the information while the vehicle is on route, many agencies upload the data when the vehicle returns to the garage at the end of the day. The data collected can be analyzed to determine schedule adherence, passenger wait time, passenger crowding, speed and delay analysis, and passenger load. The results allow transit management to observe trends and make modifications to optimize the transit system.
Some transit agencies have started deploying a wireless infrastructure and thus providing Wi-Fi access for riders as a method to boost ridership. Wi-Fi is used for data transmission between buses and the transit management center both en-route (at stops) and at the end of the day.
Some agencies are using vehicle area networks to provide connectivity between vehicle devices and applications. The data gathered is used to improve both safety and efficiency. The system supports video surveillance and allows a bus operator to stream video to public safety when needed. The network also gathers maintenance-related data which can help improve the efficiency of the vehicle.
Several critical trends are also emerging regarding how transit information is provided to the public. These strategies involve trip planning, next transit vehicle arrival information, and parking information.
Most agencies have (or are currently planning) web sites that provide fare, schedule, and route information. This is supplemented with trip planning software that allows the traveler to enter starting location, destination, and desired departure or time of arrival. The system will then process the information supplied by the traveler and provide driving, parking, transit route, and walking directions for the requested trip.
Arrival times for transit vehicles are being posted on signs at stops, and next stop and arrival times are posted and announced on the vehicles. Several transit agencies are also providing the next arrival time information on web sites or making the information available through text messages or cellular telephone-based information services.
Sites are also providing more information about the locations, cost, and availability of parking at park-and-ride facilities through their web sites. In a few cases, message signs along freeways or major arterial routes are being used to remind drivers of the park-and-ride option, direct them to parking lots, and give active counts of parking spaces remaining at the nearest lot.
6.3 Potential/Future Approaches
Currently transit management relies on statistical information to determine the scheduling of transit vehicles. Any need for additional vehicles is determined by the vehicle operator from observation of the passenger load on the vehicle and the number of waiting passengers at the transit stops. If there is a major incident within the ICM corridor which requires a mode shift by travelers, the availability of current transit data is important to the determination of the unused capacity within the ICMS. This data includes:
- Current passenger counts which would allow the transit managers to determine where additional resources are needed to assist in handling increased transit load.
- Real-time parking availability data so that travelers could be directed to transit locations with available parking capacity.
- Transit data during the incident time which allows the transit managers the ability to determine how long the additional resources need to be available.
In addition, the use of real-time data from transit vehicles and the waiting passenger count data from transit stops is one potential approach which could be used to improve the overall performance of the ICMS. The data could be used by the transit agency to proactively assign additional resources so that the capacity of the transit system is maintained. There has been some consideration given to using ridership data to determine if transit vehicles would receive signal priority. The rationale is that the more passengers there are on a vehicle, the more justification there is for giving the vehicle signal priority.
Many transit agencies do not provide the traveler with real-time transit information such as travel times and incident information. The ability to provide this information to the public so that the modes could be compared would encourage mode shifting and improve transit utilization thereby increasing the ICMS performance.
Advanced Parking Management Systems, also known as Intelligent Parking Systems (IPS), are a potential approach to answer the demand for real-time parking information. These systems can provide en-route information to travelers and allow available parking to be found quickly and safely. The systems will become more important as parking facilities at high density areas such as airports, transit stations, and business districts become full due to high demand. These systems use vehicle detectors, ticket splitters, electronic payment, and/or cash registers to detect vehicle entry or departure. This data is then combined with pre-defined information about the parking location, such as total number of parking spaces, number of reserved spaces, etc., to determine the current unused capacity. The resulting parking status is then communicated to the public via signage, Highway Advisory Radio/Traffic Advisory Radio, public media (radio and/or television traffic reports), or the Internet. Some parking management systems also provide the traveler a way to reserve and pre-pay for a parking spot via the Internet.
Transit agencies within the Pioneer Sites have requested real-time data relating to incidents within the corridor. This information will be used to assess potential impacts of the incidents on scheduled routes and paratransit dispatches.
6.4 Summary of Data Gathering Approaches
The data gathering approaches for transit data are fairly well established. Improvements to the approaches have been developed so that more data is automatically collected and available for analysis. The data gathered is used to improve the safety and efficiency of the transit system. In general the data gathered from transit agencies and parking lot management companies is currently available within those venues. Within the ICM corridor, the integration of this data could be used to improve the performance of the ICMS.
