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TCRP RPT 165p1
TCRP RPT 165p1
TCQSM
Transit planners
Transportation planners
Traffic engineers
Transit operations personnel
Design engineers
Management personnel
Researchers
University students
Training
Staff new to the transit industry, university students
Reference
Useful data for answering questions, transit glossary
Guidance
Transit preferential treatments, role of simulation
Service standards development
Incorporating passenger quality of service
Service evaluation
Diagnose and treat operational issues
What-if questions
Evaluate effects of changes being considered
Planning and design
Sketch planning, alternatives analysis
Bus/rail/ferry/demand-response service and facility design
Easy to overlook among the TCQSM’s other content, because they’re not
mentioned in the manual’s title
The same factors that influence transit capacity also influence speed and
reliability
Small and mid-sized transit agencies may not have to address capacity issues
very often, but speed and reliability are important considerations for all sizes
of transit agencies
Travel time and reliability influence passenger mode choice and
satisfaction with transit service
Speed and reliability influence the number of transit vehicles needed to
provide service on a route at a given headway, which directly affects the
route’s operating costs
Like many other industries, the transit industry has developed its own
vocabulary over the years
Complicating matters, transit terminology varies between operators and may
be different from the TCQSM’s usage
Local usage should prevail; however, readers should be familiar with TCQSM
definitions and terminology when applying TCQSM methods
Terms are presented in italics at the first point they are defined in the text
The TCQSM compiles data from a variety of sources and TCQSM methods
produce estimates that reflect average conditions
Each location has its own unique characteristics that may not reflect North
American averages
Passenger characteristics and behaviors
Passenger demand patterns
Differences in equipment and technology
External factors (e.g., motorist compliance with bus lanes)
Chapter 1
Introduction User’s Guide
Chapter 11 Chapter 12
Reference CD-ROM
Glossary Index
Text
Chapter 1, User’s Guide
“How to Use This Chapter” sections in each chapter
Cross-references to related documents with more detail
Step-by-step presentation of calculation methods
Global and chapter-specific tables of contents
Index
PDF version
All of the above, plus search capability and hyperlinks to many referenced
documents
Spreadsheets
Assist with performing multimodal QOS and bus, rail, and ferry capacity
calculations
PowerPoint presentations
Overviews for the each of the major chapters
Introduction to the transit modes used in the U.S. and Canada and how
service using these modes can be provided
Written for readers new to the transit industry
Experienced professionals will also find value in summaries of industry trends
in vehicles, technology, and service types
Service patterns
Fixed route and demand responsive
Route and system levels
All about transit capacity, speed, and reliability and the factors that
influence them
Definitions section useful for all readers
Section 3 discusses the impact of external factors on ridership
Remaining sections written for readers new to transit operations analysis
Design capacity
The capacity that can be sustained day after day, accounting for small
irregularities in service and variations in passenger demand and arrival
patterns
Maximum capacity
The capacity that could be achieved if service was 100% reliable, passenger
demand never varied, passengers filled every available space on every trip, etc.
Unless stated specifically otherwise, the TCQSM estimates design
capacities
Factors influencing
transit reliability
Presentation author
Paul Ryus (Kittelson & Associates, Inc.)
Photo credits
Operating environments, bottom picture: Sound Transit
All other photos: Paul Ryus