Metro Transit Archives

Summer Service Change In-Depth Analysis LocalLink Version For the Summer Service Change, all 44 LocalLink routes will receive a new schedule. The majority of these routes received received additional running time, while others received re-calibrations. Below will focus on modified or added trips for LocalLink routes during Weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. LocalLink 31: Sinai Hospital to Security Square Mall/Social Security Trips to/from Social Security have changed, particularly on the weekends. For weekday service, PM trips depart 3 minutes later at :13 and :43 after between 3:13pm and 6:43pm.   Current: New:  On Sundays, the previous 4:42pm trip from Social Security, was modified to leave at 2:40pm instead, to better match shift times  Current:  New: LocalLink 53: State Center to Cromwell Bridge P&R/Sheppard Pratt Weekend service on the LL53 has changed to better accommodate operators and passeng...

Summer Service Change In-Depth Analysis CityLink Version For the Summer Service Change, all 12 CityLink routes will receive a new schedule. The majority of these routes received received additional running time, while others received re-calibrations. Below will focus on modified or added trips for CityLink routes during Weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. CityLink Blue: CMS/Westgate to Hopkins Bayview This route will receive a few trip changes. Currently, there is a 2:47pm trip to Westgate, which will now because a 2:48pm to CMS to improve the frequency between Edmondson Village and Security blvd. The 2nd change is to avoid bunching heading eastbound towards the end of PM peak, the 5:43pm from CMS was discontinued. However, the proceeding trip leaves only three minutes earlier at 5:40pm. Lastly, to improve early morning connections into Downtown, trips between 5:00am and 5:30am will operate every 15 minutes, instead of 15-20 minutes. Current:  New: C...

Scheduling 202 The ABCs of Scheduling and Service Planning   Cycle Time       In the previous post about headways, the term Cycle time was mentioned. It is a term so encompassing, it needed its own discussion.    Cycle Time according to MTA, is the amount of time required for a vehicle to make a round trip, including layover/recovery time at each end, used to calculate peak vehicle requirement and/or headway.    Defining what Cycle time is, can also help answer one of the most enduring questions asked by passengers: Why can't my line (insert route) run more buses?   A lot of factors goes into determining cycle time, which can determine headway or frequency. If the line has high ridership, it should run more often. If a line has low ridership, it should run less often.    There is math behind cycle time. It goes like this:   Let's say during the rush hour, it takes a line 45 minutes from on...

Scheduling 202 The ABCs of Scheduling and Service Planning A slight change in gears from this point on, as this blog will examine transit industry terms and definitions and what they mean in the scheduling and service planning world. Prior posts discussed headways, span of service, and deadheads. It will continue on the same vein in the hopes of better understanding for riders and advocates.  The first term discussed is called Coverage Service. MTA defines it as a bus route designed to provide service to those who need it, such as households that do not own vehicles, even if demand is low.  These are routes that usually service areas with little to no connecting services or neighborhoods with a moderate density of residents. For BaltimoreLink, there are several lines that fit this description.  The first example is the 34, which operates between Westview Mall and Falls Road Light Rail Station and Greenspring Station on weekdays. In this map, the...

Winter Service Change In-Depth Analysis LocalLink Version The second of three posts will be on the changes which affect the LocalLink routes, that start this upcoming Sunday, February 3rd, 2019. There were changes on 36 LocalLink routes. They are listed below, courtesy of the MTA website: LocalLink 21, 22, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 51, 53, 54, 56, 59, 62, 63, 65, 67, 69, 70, 71, 73, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 85, 87, 91, 94, and 95 The majority of those routes received added time in most periods, while others received re-calibrations, in which the timing was balanced. Below will focus on added or modified trips for some of the LocalLink lines during Weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. LocalLink 36: Towson to Fox Ridge During the midday, headways were decreased from every 50 minutes to every 40 minutes to improve reliability and rider convenience.  Current:   New: LocalLink 54: State Center to Carney/Hillendale In the ear...