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 Bus Service Planning: Lab Exercises

 
Lab Exercise One: Bus Service Planning

Your city is considering a new weekday bus route. Your task will be to study the route and determine the cost of providing this service. You will present your results in a brief report to the city manager, who must then make a decision on the feasibility of this service.

Your instructor will provide the specific information on the route, including the points to be served by the route and other relevant information.

This assignment is divided into several parts:

  • What street segments should be included in this service?
  • How long does it take to travel this route during different periods of the day?
  • How many vehicles are required to provide service on this route?
  • How many bus drivers will be required to operate this service?

Tasks To Be Completed

As you complete the following tasks, consider what information will be useful to the city manager, who must decide on the feasibility of this service.

Task 1. Your instructor will assign an area in your city that is to be served by a new public transit route. You should visit the area and document the key areas to be served and the street segments that are appropriate for bus operations.

Task 2. Based on your site visit, determine the length of the route, the average running speed of the bus during both the peak and off-peak periods, the bus stops that should be included along the route, the terminal points on the route, the times of operation, and the headways that should be provided.

Task 3. Calculate the number of vehicles required in order to provide this service during the different service periods.

Task 4. Prepare a headway sheet showing the schedule.

Task 5. Determine the vehicle blocks necessary to serve this schedule.

Task 6. If the average driver cost per hour is $80 (including fringe benefits and overhead), what is the total annual operating cost for this service (assume 255 weekdays per year).

Task 7. Prepare a brief report summarizing the results of your work, including documentation of your site visit, computations, results, and conclusions.