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Fixed Route Transit Scheduling in Florida: The State of the
Industry
Fixed route transit scheduling is an undervalued and often
misunderstood task of public transit agencies. It is a complex
process that involves several detailed analytical procedures.
Trip building, blocking, runcutting, and rostering are all
sub-tasks of the overall task of scheduling. This project
examines the basic framework of the scheduling process to
provide a general understanding of the subject. The main
objective of this project was to examine current scheduling
practices at transit systems in Florida and assess each agency’s
scheduling issues and potential need for technical assistance in
schedule development. A scheduling survey was designed and
distributed to all Florida fixed route transit systems. The
results of this survey are presented and analyzed with a
specific emphasis on comparing systems that use automated
scheduling software versus those that continue to schedule using
manual processes. The use of automated scheduling software at
the larger transit systems in Florida has yielded various
improvements to their scheduling process. Scheduling software is
an iterative tool that provides the scheduler with greater
flexibility, functionality, and control over scheduling their
services. It also works to reduces mistakes, improve vehicle and
operator efficiencies, reduce staff time on tedious activities,
and provide better reporting capabilities. As reflected in the
fixed route scheduling survey, there is an interest among small
to medium sized transit systems in realizing the benefits of
automated scheduling software. However, scheduling software
costs and computer hardware costs in general were seen as the
most prohibitive aspects of attaining scheduling software.
Furthermore, the learning curve and extensive set-up time
required is a potential obstacle for small to mid-sized systems.
Based on the findings of this report, a mechanism could be
explored that would enable small to medium sized transit systems
in Florida the opportunity to provide more efficient services
through automated scheduling. A copy of the final report is
available here in pdf format and in
HTML format. For more information,
contact Mark Mistretta at
mistretta@cutr.usf.edu.
7.06.05
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813.974.5168 fax